Beiges
Tiptoeing into a richer mineral palette, the beige color family promises pigments that are memorable without being overpowering. Billy Cotton and R.P. Miller lean into wheaty tones, with the former backing Bone No. 15 (pictured above, #1) and the latter choosing String No. 8 (#2) from Farrow & Ball. Others champion the timelessness of refined, shroom-y colorways. Grant Beige HC-83 (#3), Alexandria Beige HC-77 (#4), and Manchester Tan HC-81 (#5)—all from Benjamin Moore—are preferred by Michael S. Smith, Mark Hampton LLC, and Pierce & Ward, respectively.
A designer-approved palette of greige paints
Images courtesy brands. Illustration by Gabrielle Pilotti LangdonGreiges
One of the greatest perks of a greige pigment is its versatility within a variety of interior styles—as lucid in a cozy country house as it is in an urbane modern loft. Victoria Hagan Interiors recommends Fog Mist OC-31 (pictured above, #1), a hazy pigment from Benjamin Moore, when in doubt. Architecture and design firms Sawyer | Berson and Charlap Hyman & Herrero advise a more metallic-inspired route, advocating for the paint maker’s Balboa Mist OC-27 (#2) and Nimbus 1465 (#3).
A designer-approved palette of gray paints
Images courtesy brands. Illustration by Gabrielle Pilotti LangdonGrays
Cooler gray tones are alluringly complex, yet soft and airy. Fox-Nahem Associates appreciates the dichotomy in Benjamin Moore’s Silver Gray 2131-60 (pictured above, #1). For design studios Why and S.R. Gambrel, the color family’s asphalt tones are favored for their adaptability. They recommend Lamp Room Gray No. 88 (#2) by Farrow & Ball and Paper White OC-55 (#3) by Benjamin Moore, respectively.
A designer-approved palette of cool-hued paints
Images courtesy brands. Illustration by Gabrielle Pilotti LangdonCool Palette
For those wanting to look beyond neutrals, designers recommend earthy tones that will play nicely with a variety of materials, such as reclaimed wood, polished stone, and rattan. Jan Showers & Associates is partial to Benjamin Moore’s Wythe Blue HC-143 (pictured above, #1), while Martin Brudnizki Design Studio picks Tea Green (#2) by Edward Bulmer Natural Paints from green’s vast palette and Reath Design is drawn to Spanish Olive 1509 (#3) by Benjamin Moore.
A designer-approved palette of warm-hued paints
Images courtesy Farrow & Ball. Illustration by Gabrielle Pilotti LangdonWarm Palette
Romantic, rosy hues capture both daytime and evening light. The trick? Finding a pigment with a just-right balance of warm and cool tones. Ken Fulk counts Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster No. 213 (pictured above, #1) among his never-fail options, while Studio Giancarlo Valle trusts the manufacturer’s Radicchio No. 96 (#2).
