Best Taupe Paint Colors for Exterior
From a Color Consultant
Taupe can be a tricky color to pin down. Some may appear pinkish or mauve while others are on the opposite end of the spectrum, sporting yellow, green, and occasionally even blue undertones. With all these colors in the mix, what makes up a true taupe? A textbook taupe is a gray-brown, as the term “taupe” originates from the French noun “taupe”, which transalates to “mole” (the animal, not the beauty mark). So, the orginal taupe matches the pelt of a french mole, handsome little fellows with deep sable roots and silvery gray highlights.
While the neutral gray in a taupe determines how much black and white neutralize and lighten it respectably, its brown side determines pigmentation that can either lean red or green. So where do blue and yellow factor in? Brown is made up of all three primary colors- red, blue, and yellow. A brown without a red tone can either have a warm green undertone comprised of more yellow than blue or a cool green undertone made up of more blue than yellow. Blue also tends to be the main component of most blacks. So, cooler taupes with more gray tend to have violet (cool gray+red brown) and cool green (cool gray+blue-green brown) undertones that make them appear mauve or cool gray-adjacent, while warmer taupes with more brown have olive (gray+yellow-green brown) or red (gray+ red brown) undertones that tinge them green or pink. With all this color chemistry, taupes are beautifully complex and intricate when mixed right and muddy if mixed wrong. Beware of too much yellow! The most popular exterior choice that stand the test of time, taupes read as refined and classic.
Benjamin Moore Shenandoah Taupe (AC-36)
Benjamin Moore Shenandoah Taupe (AC-36) is a light, warm taupe with an extremely subtle mauve undertone. On exteriors, its nearly neutral buff tones show prominently. It manages warmth without any of the green or yellow undertones that often accompany greiges, and is dark enough to appear beige-adjacent in full sun. It’s the perfect choice for those in the market for a creamy hue that’s a touch more complex than your run-of-the-mill beige.
Top Left and Bottom Right: Cella Archeticture, New Tudor Revival Home Portland Oregon; Bottom Left and Top Right: Home Bunch, 5 Easy Tips to Throwing a Backyard Party
Sherwin Williams Folkstone (SW 6005)
The deepest taupe on our list, Sherwin Williams Folkstone (SW 6005) is a near-gray shade with a violet undertone. Warm in terms of grays and cool in comparison to most taupes, it offers a complex neutral option reminiscent of river stones. Its warmth is derived from a red tone, so it’s totally free from the tinges of green that warm grays and greiges often have. Folkstone is a lovely choice for those attracted to dark gray exteriors who are looking for something just a bit more colorful and unique.
Top: Red Rock Finishes; Bottom Left: Kerri Taylor via Pinterest; Bottom Middle: Sherwin Williams via Facebook; Bottom Right: Kind Home Design via Pinterest
Sherwin Williams Mink (SW 6004)
Sherwin Williams Mink (SW 6004) appears more violet than its darker, grayer sister color, Folkstone (SW 6005). It reads loud and clear as a taupe, and it’s perfect for those searching for an exterior version of the mauve-taupes you might see in a favorite eyeshadow palette. Like Folkstone, Mink teeters on the line between warm and cool; it’s warm in terms of grays and cool in terms of taupes, especially in shade. With its violet undertone, Mink creates a truly unique exterior while still being neutral enough to be tasteful. Left: Kylie M. Interiors, Sherwin Williams: 6 Best Dark Greige & Taupe Paint Colors; Top Right: Barb Drummond via Pinterest; Bottom Left: Sherwin Williams via Pinterest
Benjamin Moore Ashley Gray (HC-87)
Despite its name, like many so-called grays that stray too far from neutrality, Benjamin Moore Ashley Gray (HC-87) is more of a taupe than anything. Ashley Grey has just the slightest touch of red in its undertone- enough to warm it up a bit without causing it to appear at all pink, though if you squint and put it next to a hue with green undertones, you may see it lean just a fraction toward mauve. Like many good exterior taupes, it’s neutral enough to lean warm or cool depending on what colors it’s paired with. As a light mid-tone, Ashley Gray appears fresh and airy without looking too pale or washed out in bright exterior lighting. Left: Home Bunch via Pinterest; Top Right: Houzz, Kirkland Traditional- Seattle- by RW Anderson Homes; Bottom Right: EB-Color, 60-30-10 Rule
Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe (HC-85)
Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe (HC-85) is a dark, warm taupe with just a hint of green in its undertones. A true taupe that sits between a cool brown and a warm gray, it’s primarily neutral. It’s just dark enough to create a lovely midtone, appearing to be the exact halfway point between the shade of a light beige and a dark charcoal. Its subtle touch of green prevents any red in its undertones, eliminating the possibility of ever looking pink or mauve. It’s the perfect fit for anyone looking for a taupe that avoids these hues while still being free of the muddiness too much green or yellow can cause.All: Houzz
Benjamin Moore Copley Gray (HC-104)
Benjamin Moore Copley Gray (HC-104) is a cool mid-tone taupe with a green undertone. It hits the sweet spot between light and dark, making it the perfect shade for an exterior, especially when paired with a light trim. Light colors and classic white trim look fantastic with both colors and neutrals like Copley Gray that are true mid-tones, as they are just dark enough to provide a lovely contrast without the commitment of a bolder, deeper tone. With light olive undertones that shine through in cool, shady lighting, Copley Gray sits just a hair to the cool side of true neutral. In warm, sunny light, it displays creamy buff hues that translate into a perfect greige. Top Left: Hirshfields Color Club; Bottom Left: Favorite Paint Colors Blog; Top Right: West Magnolia Charm, 20 Amazing Benjamin Moore Exterior Paint Colors; Bottom Right: Kelly Bernier Designs, Updated Exterior Grays
Benjamin Moore Pashmina (AF-100)
The lightest taupe on our list, Benjamin Moore Pashmina (AF-100) is the perfect choice for those looking for an exterior that’s just a little more exciting than a simple off-white. If light grays and beiges almost hit the mark, but seem just a touch too cool and warm respectively, Pashmina is an ideal compromise. With the lovely complexity of the taupe family, it is a balanced neutral that can appear more gray or more buff depending on lighting and surrounding colors. A perfect pairing for a light, dreamy neutral partner to colorful or deep hues, Pashmina also stands alone as an airy backdrop with tones that show through best against a bright true white. Top Left: Houzz via Pinterest; Bottom Left: Samuel Marcus- Blog, Transitional Home Design; Top Right: Home Bunch, Paint Color Ideas with Pictures; Bottom Right: Maria Killam, The Shortcut to Testing Exterior Colour
Sherwin Williams Fawn Brindle (SW 7640)
Sherwin Williams Fawn Brindle (SW 7640) is a mid-tone taupe with subtle cool green undertones. It flirts with gray and ivory, resulting in a taupe that feels fresh with just the right amount of warmth. It sidesteps the chance of any hints of pink or mauve without looking at all yellowed or muddy thanks to the cool nature of its sneaky green undertone, which almost never shows through. Even in cool light, Fawn Brindle hardly appears green. A lovely neutral, it strikes a balance between light and dark that renders in a perfect exterior choice- bright but not too light. As a mid-tone, it’s able to provide a good visual contrast to truly light colors without ever appearing too dark itself.Top: Sherwin Williams, Exterior Color Inspiration- Body; Bottom Left: Sherwin Williams, Classic Comfort; Bottom Right: Home Bunch
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