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Best Trending Taupe Paint Colors to Try in 2025

    Is there anything more satisfying than a smooth, rich, taupe color? I love it on my walls, accessories, clothes, and eyelids! Today we are going to look at 9 of the very best taupe paint colors for you to add to your inspo list as we move into 2025.

    All of the taupe paint colors from the article arranged over a background of a bedroom with a feature wall in Mesa Taupe.
    Photo by: @badgerhouseinteriors

    Honestly, I am such a taupe lover that nothing pained me more than having to narrow this list down in an objective way. I even had to leave out a few of my big time favorites such as Taupe of the Morning, and Shiitake.

    What Color is Taupe?

    Taupe is a color somewhere between gray and beige that typically has the slightest violet undertone.

    There are some taupe colors that can have either a violet or green undertone. Colors with a lot of gray in them, do tend to be chameleons. In my opinion, any color that reads like a classic taupe will have a more purple undertone.

    All of the colors from the article arranged in paint dots over a taupe background.

    Anything with a green undertone that doesn’t ever have a purple undertone, I would probably classify as a muted sage.

    (This really is a matter of opinion, but if that’s more what you are after, you might prefer my post Fabulous Sage Green Trim Colors where I do talk about a few different muted sage options.)

    What is the Difference Between Taupe and Greige?

    There is definitely a huge overlap between taupe and greige, since taupe colors are warm grays. I would say that all taupe paint colors are greige, but not all greiges are taupe.

    Taupe concrete on one side and greige on the other side

    There are plenty of greiges out there with strong sunny or green undertones that I wouldn’t consider taupe. I also think that greiges can be quite dark, but taupe stays mid-toned.

    What is the Difference Between Taupe, Mushroom, and Putty?

    Again there is a big overlap here! In my opinion, the terms “taupe,” “mushroom,” and “putty,” can all be used somewhat interchangeably.

    Taupe paint, mushrooms, and putty all swatched together.

    Putty colors tend to be lighter, and some could be classified as beiges and not necessarily taupe. Mushroom colors do all tend to be taupe.

    With all of that out of the way, let’s get into these colors!

    Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe

    I have already covered this color in my post: The 3 Faces of Smokey Taupe on Kitchen Cabinets (Plus Alternatives!), so check that out if you want a deeper dive on undertones etc!

    Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe on tea room china cabinets in a cottage kitchen.
    Photo credit: @redbrickhousedesigns

    Smokey Taupe makes the list of best taupe paint colors because it is light enough to use anywhere in your home. With an LRV of 54.53, it is in the perfect range for a whole-home wall color.

    Here is a look at a very typical appearance for Smokey Taupe:

    Smokey Taupe on kitchen cabinets in a neutral kitchen with long pendant lamps and vaulted white ceilings.
    Photo Credit: @Riemerkitchens

    In terms of undertone, Smokey Taupe most often has the classic wink of purple. However, like many greiges, this color is a little bit of a chameleon. It can range in appearance from a silvery gray:

    Smokey Taupe on kitchen cabinets with wood floors
    Photo Credit: @Riemerkitchens

    …To a more standard beige look:

    Close up of a large Kitchen island with cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore Smokey Taupe above a swatch of the same color.
    Background photo credit: @redbrickhousedesigns

    As you may have guessed, Smokey Taupe is great on cabinets! It is a nice alternative to cream, but still reads light and bright.

    Sherwin Williams Taupe Tone

    Taupe Tone is one of the few taupe colors that has very little undertone. It typically looks like a perfect mix of gray and beige:

    Sherwin Williams Taupe Tone swatched over a photo of the same color on double doors in a hallway with Benjamin Moore Classic Gray on the walls.
    Photo credit: @homeonportsmouth

    If it is going to have an undertone, it could be either a hint of a mushroomy-purple or a touch of green, but I find it difficult to catch.

    Here is Taupe Tone in a laundry room with Classic Gray on the walls:

    Classic Gray walls in a laundry room with dryer and Taupe Tone beadboard and cabinets
    Photo Credit: @homeonportsmouth

    This combination is particularly nice! Classic Gray is more of an off white than an actual gray.

    Here the color does look the tiniest bit sagey:

    Benjamin Moore Classic Gray on laundry room walls with Taupe Tone beadboard and cabinets, and white washer and dryer.
    Photo Credit: @homeonportsmouth

    If you do like the more green look of Taupe Tone, you will probably like Benjamin Moore Fieldstone.

    Taupe Tone has an LRV of 36, which makes it perfectly mid-toned.

    Sherwin Williams Repose Gray

    Repose Gray is definitely one of the more gray colors on this list, but I find that it often has that taupey purple undertone.

    Here it is in a kitchen:

    Kitchen cabinets painted in Sherwin Williams Repose Gray with a swatch of the same color painted on top.
    Background photo credit: @bespokeredesign

    Repose Gray is another nice light taupe, which could be used on all of the walls in your home, with an LRV of 58.

    I find Repose Gray to be a very sophisticated neutral! It has all of the flexibility of Accessible Beige or Agreeable Gray, but it’s a little more…interesting.

    You should know that Repose Gray can look strictly gray. I have not ever seen it looking green, and it doesn’t ever look completely beige.

    Sherwin Williams Repose Gray on walls in a kitchen with vaulted ceilings and a charcoal island.
    Photo Credit: @bertrand_residence

    Repose Gray is a great choice if you aren’t sure if your goal is a gray, greige, or taupe paint color! (You can see a little more from this color in my post: Sherwin Williams Light French Gray VS Repose Gray)

    Sherwin Williams Truly Taupe

    Truly Taupe is one of the colors on this list with the strongest purple undertone. If you want quite a neutral taupe, this may not be the right choice, but the color is beautiful!

    Swatch of Sherwin Williams Truly Taupe over a photo of the color on shiplap on a bathroom wall behind a gray vanity.
    Photo credit: @redheadedmable

    The LRV of Truly Taupe is 35, so it is a mid-toned color, but also the darkest shade on this list.

    Sherwin Williams Truly Taupe on a shiplap wall in a bathroom.
    Photo credit: @redheadedmable

    This color ranges in appearance from a medium nut brown to a taupe with almost a cherry undertone.

    Sherwin Williams Truly Taupe on shiplap with a small framed painting hung on the wall
    Photo credit: @redheadedmable

    This color won’t be everyone’s favorite, but it is undeniably rich! I think it would look amazing in a color drench situation,

    Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray

    Worldly Gray is another taupe chameleon!

    Swatch of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray over a background of the same color on upper kitchen cabinets
    Photo credit: @finishingroommke

    This color can appear anywhere from pretty gray, to beige, to a taupe with a pink or purple undertone.

    Vintage Vogue in a living room with a cream sofa and worldly gray hall outside the room
    Photo Credit: @thetinpitcher

    The hallway color here is Worldly Gray and the color in the living room is the sultry Benjamin Moore color Vintage Vogue.

    Modern Gray on upper cabinets with white walls and tile backsplash and Sherwin Williams Porpoise on lower cabinets.
    Photo credit: @finishingroommke

    In this kitchen it is on the upper cabinets with Porpoise on the lowers. (Porpoise happens to be on my list of Dark and Moody Exterior Colors From Sherwin Williams.)

    This taupe color is one of the lightest on the list with an LRV of 57. Which makes it a great whole home wall color.

    Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray on kitchen cabinets with porpoise on the lower cabinets
    Photo credit: @finishingroommke

    Benjamin Moore Pashmina

    Pashmina was a big hit in years past, but enough years past that it’s actually cool again.

    Pashmina double vanity in bathroom with wallpaper on sink wall and evergreen fog on the rest
    Photo Credit: @built_frm_scratch

    In this bathroom it is the perfect earthy complement to the SW Evergreen Fog walls.

    Pashmina double vanity in bathroom with wallpaper on sink wall and evergreen fog on the rest
    Photo Credit: @built_frm_scratch

    Pashmina can actually have a slight green undertone in certain situations, but not in this bathroom since the walls are actually green.

    Here you can see the green undertone a little bit on these exterior doors, where the body of the house is the stronger gray/taupe of Benjamin Moore Iron Gate:

    It’s probably difficult to accept that these are even the same color! Unfortunately I have nothing in between to show you, so this is one to add to the list of test pots!

    The LRV of Pashmina is 44, so it’s just a little darker than I would recommend for a whole home color, but it is on the lighter end of mid-toned.

    Sherwin Williams Functional Gray

    Functional Gray is another mid-toned mushroomy taupe, with an LRV of 37.

    Swatch of Sherwin Williams Functional Gray over a photo of the same color on a shiplap living room wall adjoining a white kitchen.
    Photo credit: @in_vest_homes

    Here we see it on a shiplap feature wall against the popular white Sherwin Williams Alabaster:

    Sherwin Williams Functional Gray on a shiplap feature wall adjoining a white kitchen
    Photo credit: @in_vest_homes

    Despite looking quite beige here, this is actually the grayest taupe color on the list, and also the coolest.

    Sherwin Williams Functional Gray on a shiplap office wall behind a desk and open shelves.
    Photo credit: @in_vest_homes

    You should know that Functional Gray can look allll the way gray. If you want a color that is consistently a warmer beigey taupe, this isn’t the one. Because it is cooler, Functional Gray also has the potential to have a green undertone.

    To keep this shade looking warmer and taupey, I recommend pairing it with blues and greens.

    Behr Mesa Taupe

    Mesa Taupe is the lonely Behr shade that made the list! This mid-toned taupe is a perfect balanced color that plays well with others.

    Swatch of Behr Mesa Taupe over a photo of the color on the lower 3/4 of a bedroom wall with white on the rest.
    Photo Credit: @badgerhouseinteriors

    Mesa Taupe tends to not have a strong undertone (purple or otherwise), but might appear more beige than other taupe colors.

    Behr Mesa Taupe on the lower 3/4 of a bedroom feature wall behind a gray upholstered headboard.
    Photo Credit: @badgerhouseinteriors

    This color isn’t nearly as popular as it should be! I find it to be one of the more predictable colors on the list. It generally looks pretty much like this:

    Far shot of Behr Mesa Taupe on the lower 3/4 of a bedroom feature wall behind a gray upholstered headboard.
    Photo Credit: @badgerhouseinteriors

    The LRV of Mesa Taupe is 41.

    Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth

    Our final taupe shade is actually on the same color strip as our very first one! Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth is one shade darker than Smokey Taupe.

    Kitchen cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth above a swatch of the same color.
    Photo: @homeonfifth

    Stone Hearth is another chameleon! It can range in appearance from perfectly neutral, to warm beige, and it can have an undertone anywhere from purple to green.

    Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth on kitchen cabinets in a kitchen with a dark green wall in Behr Hematitie in the background.
    Photo Credit: @allisonkayeinteriors

    In these photos it looks mostly neutral to warm. That is thanks to pairing it with cool blues and greens such as Behr Hematite in the dining room…

    Benjamin Moore Hale Navy built ins and fireplace over a Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth wall in a living room
    Photo credit: 100things2do.ca

    …and Benjamin Moore Hale Navy in this living room.

    Kitchen cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth above a swatch of the same color.
    Photo Credit: @allisonkayeinteriors

    The LRV of Stone Hearth is 48, so it is right in the middle of the pack when it comes to lightness.

    LRV’s of Taupe Paint Colors

    Here are all of these taupe paint colors compared in terms of LRV.

    The Taupe paint colors from the article listed from lightest to darkest on an LRV chart. From light to dark, colors are Repose Gray, Worldly Gray, Smokey Taupe, Stone Hearth, Pashmina, Mesa Taupe, Functional Gray, Taupe Tone, and Truly Taupe. Background is a creamy beige knit sweater.

    Remember that a whole home color should have an LRV of around 50+. Feature colors should come from the lower range. For cabinets any LRV will do!

    All of the 9 Best Taupe Paint Colors

    Here’s another look at all of the colors we covered:

    All of the taupe paint colors from the article over a background of taupey walls with a snake plant and white drapes.

    Thank you so much for reading until the end! That really helps my blog! I hope this gave you some great taupey ideas.

    If not, here are some more colors that you might like:

    Swatches of 7 mushroom paint colors from the article over a background photo of built in cabinets painted in Magnolia Cinnamon Sugar.
    Graphic reads reads "White walls and accessible beige trim" over a photo of Pure White Walls with Accessible Beige on the trim and door to one side
    Valspar Warm Putty coordinating colors features Swiss Coffee, Sparkling Sage, Totten's Inlet, Lush Sage, Chimney Smoke, and of course Warm Putty, all on paint lids over a background photo of a white boho living room.