Sunday, August 26, 2012

BEIGE-- WHAT IS IT AND IS IT FOR YOU?


BEIGE!
What is Beige and is it for you?
A neutral that has a big impact.



What, exactly is beige?  Isn’t it just a shade of something else?  Why should we give it color, and not just a hue?

  Beige is a term that originated in the mid 19th century for unbleached wool.  As you can imagine, even the reference would always have an ambiguous reality--- somewhat gray, white or brown.  Since its descriptive origin, it has become even more loosely defined.

  Today it describes a hue that has a hint of color from any color family but is dominated by its tonality or presence of gray.  Plus, it works!  It is not the most saturated hue, but can paint out beautifully in a space that needs a touch of color.

  Beige was originally a yellow-brown that was the color of cotton cloth with no dye added.  Slowly it became a grand word that was placed on almost any neutral or tan color.  It is distinguished by its ratio of white blended with black, green, yellow, umber, or red which separates it from pastels that are primarily colorant with little white existing.

STUCK IN NEUTRAL?

  Even if it is a neutral, it’s important to put some thought into it.  Just like an ill-advised off-white can create a funny caste in a room, it’s important to know what your beige is made of to properly relate it to other colors.

   Picking the right beige can be tricky if you are unfamiliar with undertones existing in colors.  Usually you want to pinpoint colors in the room from rugs, drapes, sofas and other items and determine the undertone within each.  Then, strive to blend with a green, yellow, red, or gray undertoned beige.  This will help blend all the furnishings while making a stunning backdrop for further décor.

  To pick the right beige with other home décor elements, see where the root of the beige is.  Are most of the other décor elements grey-beige?  If so, then choose a grey-beige for the walls so that you have an integrated, seamless look.  The root color of the paint and the other décor elements will follow through from piece to piece and not look wrong.  If it’s an orange-beige, same situation—find a beige that has a hint of orange in it.

  Plus, it can work with itself.  Beige also begs for mixes of textures and using layers of different beiges together--, pulling from nature where we see such a variety of hues and beige, beige, beige.

Our next blog will continue on the subject of beige.  What beige’s are trendy.  What are the new names for beige and where to use them.

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As Always “ Happy Painting and Decorating”
Ken Rader Interiors L.L.C.
Ken Rader 
Serving Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas area since 1987

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