Interior design trend: Beige is back!
Mon 17 Oct 2022
Paul Bennett, Director
Beige as an interior design colour has had a bad rap for a very long time. Even the word beige has been hijacked, sometimes used metaphorically to mean bland and boring. If your home featured even a wisp of this neutral, a design faux pas had been committed.
That was until now. The Dulux Colour of the Year 2023 has been announced and there’s a drum roll from the estate agents at Behr & Butchoff……it is a shade of beige! The colour has, however, had a marketing makeover and the tone chosen is being promoted under the more media-friendly name of Wild WonderTM.
The paint experts and trend forecasters at Dulux chose Wild WonderTM for its ‘glowing and uplifting’ properties, and for its ability to connect us to nature. Our team in St. John’s Wood think the colour is a little reminiscent of Rich Tea biscuit but in designer terms, it’s a warm neutral with green undertones that works as a dominant colour as well as an accent shade.
If, for you, beige conjures up images of 1980s waiting rooms, it’s time to broaden your interior horizons. If you’re frightened Wild WonderTM will feel insipid, break up the beige with an abundance of lush, green house plants, gold accessories and wooden furniture - you’ll create a surprisingly decadent interior design in the process. Wild Wonder’sTM calming earthiness can also feel modern and fresh when combined with other hues, as Behr & Butchoff suggests:-
Wild WonderTM with white: in many NW London properties, white has been the stand out neutral for a number of decades, especially as it provides a near-gallery experience to show off works of art. The good news is you don’t have to remove every trace of Farrow & Ball’s Strong White to follow the latest paint fashion. Wild WonderTM and crisp white work exceptionally well together, especially when the woodwork is kept white and the plaster is painted beige.
Wild WonderTM with black: if you have opted for the popular trend of painting your skirting boards, architrave and staircase black, you’re in luck. Wild WonderTM and dark woodwork enjoy a good synergy. In fact, one of the most attractive contrasts comes from a feature wall painted in beige and adorned with art mounted in black frames.
Wild WonderTM with green: one of the reasons Dulux selected Wild WonderTM was for its soothing tones and its ability to pair with other colours that are also representatives of the natural environment. This shade of beige works especially well with greens such as Dulux’s Old Time Olive, Silver Lichen and Willow Tree.
Brilliant in beige
Dulux’s Wild WonderTM is just one of a number of beige paints available. The Behr & Butchoff team also recommend:-
Farrow & Ball: Shadow White and Matchstick
Paint & Paper Library: Leather III and Paper IV
Little Greene: Travertine Mid and Clay
Fired Earth: Stone Ochre and Burnt Verdigris
If you’re looking for a new home that can become a blank canvas for the latest interior design trends, contact the Behr & Butchoff team in St. John’s Wood. We have a list of properties for sale in the area and can advise you on selling any property you currently own.