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Beige is an incredibly easy color to decorate with. The neutral plays well with just about anything—warming up crisp whites, softening sleek blacks, and balancing out the boldest shades in the rainbow. The only problem? When a color is that versatile, it can be tough to know what to do with it. Your beige color combination options are basically unlimited, and that can make committing to a design choice pretty tough.
“We love beige because it is a versatile neutral that can work in any space,” Mary Maloney, the owner of Bee’s Knees Interior Design Studio, says. “Beige can be used to warm up a space that is too white or cold. And in reverse, it is a great neutral to keep strong pops of color from getting too crazy.”
Meet the Expert
- Mary Maloney is the owner of Bee’s Knees Interior Design Studio, a Massachusetts-based design firm.
- Brenna Morgan is the owner and principal designer at Brenna Morgan Interiors, a North Carolina-based design firm.
- Kristin Bartone is the creative director and principal at Bartone Interiors, a North Carolina-based design firm.
Thankfully, there are some colors that beige looks particularly great next to, and we’ve rounded up 16 of them below. Ahead, you’ll find 16 colors that work with beige—and you’ll get to see how interior designers used those color pairs in their work.
Beige + Emerald: Elegant & Intense
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Jewel tones like dark emeralds, deep sapphires, and rich garnets demand attention in any space, and since beige is a warm neutral, it can be a great way to balance out some of these striking shades. Use beige instead of white in some of your jewel-tone color pairs, or double up on neutrals and use them both to soften out the bolder colors in your space.
Beige + White: Minimalist & Warm
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All-white-everything is a classic for a reason: it’s crisp, clean, and easy to pull off. But, if you’re hoping to warm up your space just a little, consider throwing in a few beige accessories. The color should make your space feel cozier and more dynamic all without disrupting your minimalist color scheme.
Beige + Almond: Calm & Understated
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Beige is an incredibly subtle color, but fill a room with it, and you might be surprised by what a statement it can make. To keep things interesting, weave a little almond into the mix. The color is slightly warmer and darker than beige, so it will add visual interest without messing up your monochromatic palette.
If you want to stick to neutrals, do it, and keep things dynamic by switching up your textures and prints. “For our color-fearing clients, we can layer beige with lots of yummy textures and patterns,” Maloney says.
Maloney recommends layering everything from textured grasscloths and linen drapes to luxurious throws and printed pillows—"and voila, your home will feel warm and welcoming, far from dull and boring," she says.
Beige + Burgundy: Bold & Earthy
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Burgundy is an intense color—even in small doses. But when paired with beige, it can look incredibly earthy. This tempers the color’s intensity just enough to make it easier to decorate with, giving you a burgundy that feels soft rather than striking. (For more tips on using these hues in your home, check out 21 Colors That Go With Red)
Beige + Olive Green: Striking & Cozy
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Beige and olive green share warm undertones, so they look incredible together, and as is the case in any great color pair, the shades bring out the best in each other.
Beige softens olive green while olive turns beige into a statement-maker. Since both colors are versatile, it's easy to pair these shades with other colors, like cool shades that need a little warmth.
Beige + Navy: Bold & Sophisticated
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Navy isn’t a neutral, but it might as well be. The dark blue plays well with just about every color it’s paired with, and since the same is true of beige, it should come as no surprise that the two shades are a match made in heaven.
Beige’s warm undertones make navy look even richer, creating a combination that feels striking, sleek, and elegant all at once. “For a more traditional feel, navy is a perfect pairing with beige,” Brenna Morgan, owner and principal designer at Brenna Morgan Interiors, says. “It evokes that preppy New England vibe that I love so much.”
Maloney agrees: “We love navy with beige. Throw in a little white, and you have a timeless and classic combo—think Ralph Lauren.”
Maloney says if you really want to take a risk, you can throw in a little orange, too.
Beige + Caramel: Warm & Classic
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Beige and caramel is a classic color combination, commonly used in living rooms and other cozy spaces. Since both colors are warm neutrals, pairing them is a no-brainer. The pair promises to play well with other colors, so you can bring vibrant shades into the mix without giving it a second thought.
Beige + Mint: Fun & Surprising
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In many ways, beige and mint shouldn’t work. One of the colors is warm, while the other is cool. Despite their many differences, the colors have the same visual weight, which should all but guarantee a clash.
Somehow, combining the shades doesn’t create an absolute aesthetic mess. Instead, it creates a pair that feels fun, welcoming, and of course, surprising. The combination may not be one of the most sophisticated around, but it’s certainly one of the most exciting.
Beige + Gray: Simple & Refined
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It can be tempting to pair beige with bolder, more striking shades, but the color can look just as great next to similarly subtle neutrals, like gray. For a higher-contrast pairing, choose a darker gray, like charcoal. If your goal is to find a color duo that feels sleek and refined, combine your beige with a gray that’s exactly as light as it is.
“Pairing beige with gray is a fabulous way to stay completely neutral and create a calming palette in a room,” Morgan says.
Beige + Mauve: Subtle & Luxurious
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Mauve isn’t the kind of color you see every day, but the soft purple-gray can make a lovely addition to your interior. When paired with a warm neutral like beige, it can feel both cozy and luxurious.
Sure, a beige-mauve color pair is unlikely to feel as bold as something involving a vivid jewel tone, but since the combination is so commonly overlooked, it offers a subtler way to make a statement.
Beige + Brown: Rich & Textured
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Beige and brown make a pretty obvious color combination. After all, the colors fall within the same family, as beige is just an incredibly light shade of brown. So, you can combine them to create a monochromatic palette that feels both varied and dynamic.
Layer your coziest beiges with your deepest chocolate browns, and watch as your space becomes a nuanced landscape of rich, textured browns. “I love that beige gives a room a warm and cozy feeling,” Morgan says.
Morgan recommends combining the color with other warm neutrals to make your space more dynamic. “Layering on different tones and textures in warm neutrals gives the color more interest and adds depth to a space,” she says.
Beige + Sage: Sleek & Welcoming
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Sage has recently become a favorite in the interior design world, and it’s not hard to see why. The color is soft but vivid, sleek but fun. When paired with beige, it looks even more striking.
Since the colors have similar visual weight, neither stands out more than the other. Instead, the two combine to form an irresistible wall of color you simply can’t look away from.
Beige + Pink: Mellow & Inviting
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Pink can be a tough color to decorate with. Pair it with pastels, and it looks fit for a nursery. Combine it with darker shades, and it almost disappears. But, since beige falls between these two extremes, it makes an excellent match for pink.
Since both colors share warm undertones, they combine to form a vibrant but mellow pair. And because beige isn’t darker than pink, it’s unlikely to overwhelm the often-delicate color.
Beige + Black: Eye-Catching & Versatile
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Black looks good with everything, and if you’re craving something a little less obvious than black and white, consider trying black and beige instead.
Morgan says she loves to pair beige with other neutrals—like black and white. “My favorite is always black and warm white,” she says. “The contrast of these two colors makes working with beige more dynamic. Just be sure to keep your white and beige tones pretty warm."
The neutrals will still give you the high contrast you’re looking for, and since beige is warmer and earthier than white, you’ll end up with a combination that feels sophisticated and textured.
Beige + Mahogany: Traditional & Unpretentious
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It’s hard to imagine a more classic partner for beige than mahogany. Both shades fall within the brown spectrum, but where beige skews yellow, mahogany skews red—and the result is a color combination that looks classic and traditional.
The elegant pair naturally emerges when you combine antique wooden furniture with warm marble or vintage paper. Since it’s such a classic, it offers a decidedly unpretentious way to decorate your space.
Beige + Maize Yellow: Soft & Spirited
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Maize yellow can be an incredibly vivid color. But, paired with beige, it gains a kind of softness, making it surprisingly easy to decorate with. This is because both colors boast warm undertones.
Instead of forming a high-contrast pairing, they form a congruent one. Beige serves as a warm backdrop for maize yellow, holding its own against the bold shade. The result feels both vivid and versatile.
Kristin Bartone, creative director and principal at Bartone Interiors, says she loves to pair beige with maize yellow. “It ends up deepening the color palette without adding a large variation in hue,” she says. “This makes it appear like an all-neutral color scheme but with the added depth to make it more interesting.”