Get inspired with beige design templates.
Beige completes complex color palettes and provides predictability in art and design.
Inspiration in the color beige.
Learn the history and meaning of the color beige, the warmest true neutral.
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How to use the color beige.
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Play with beige color and metallics.
The color beige can be combined for an incredible effect with metallic colors and textures. Because of its light warmth, the shimmer of gold or the luster of brass give a sophisticated and luxurious look.
Shades of beige are possible, too.
The color beige technically has its own hex code, but design takes a little license calling other shades beige, too. The color beige with an orange undertone is a warmer beige. Add a yellow undertone, and beige becomes optimistic. Add a little extra brown to the color beige and you get a more official color like to khaki.
The color beige is warm, but crisp.
Beige color is a warm color, but just barely. Its light brown hue is made with the softest whisps of red and yellow. The color beige takes that light brown and then adds white, which brings crispness to the light warmth.
Combine beige with other colors.
The color beige works with any color combination, which is why it’s considered a true neutral. Different palettes give it different feels. Combine beige color with other earthy tones for an eco-conscious look. Pair beige with bright colors to tone their energy down. Play with the color beige next to other neutrals like gray or white for a timeless, upscale look.
Information about beige color.
The beige HEX code picker is #F5F5DC. This is the light, neutral earthy tone inspired by natural wool.
The color beige can be achieved in a RGB space with 245 red, 245 green, and 220 blue. Beige color can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 4% cyan, 1% magenta, 15% yellow, and 0% black.
What is the meaning of the color beige?
Beige color takes its name from the French word that means natural wool. Picture a wooly sheep clomping across the grassland. It’s not white, and it’s not cream. It’s something else, and you’d love to weave your fingers into it. Beige takes the warmth of brown and the brilliance of white, creating a predictable and dependable neutral.
Beige brings a quiet, earthy warmth. The color beige is light and sandy, a brown so light it can be used in every setting.
The history of the color beige.
Beige color comes with many modern definitions, but its origin is unmistakably specific.
The color beige is sometimes described as a grayish tan or a yellowish brown. Beige color is also used interchangeably with off-white or cream, but in fact it’s none of the above. The word beige was adopted from French, and its original meaning was “natural wool” (undyed, unbleached). The word appeared in French in 1877 and in English after 1887.
Beige has been an important color and an essential neutral since before it had a name.
The color beige was used before it had its own name. Prehistoric cave paintings — also discovered in France — feature beige pigments made from blending yellow, gray, brown, and white. Even though prehistoric civilizations didn’t classify colors with so many names, beige color holds an important place in color theory as a true neutral. It’s exceptionally versatile as a result.
Beige color in fashion and interiors.
The color beige is considered a safe and comforting color in 21st-century fashion and décor. Beige became popular as an inconspicuous base color after the boom of minimalism starting in the 1990s. Beige color is also one of the most versatile color selections for shoes and other accessories since it combines with every other color.
The color beige across different cultures.
Follow the use of “beige” in English to see when the color beige was most popular.
Highs and lows of the color beige help track the popularity of beige color over the years. After its appearance in English in the late 1800s, the color beige enjoyed a fast and steady climb. Its rise in use has been so massive, in fact, that it’s grown over 900% in use in 120 years. Beige color has been even more popular in industries like interior design ever since minimalism gained popularity 30 years ago.
Beige isn’t “boring” for all cultures.
In many Western cultures, the color beige is considered boring. In fact, an activity or attitude can be described as “beige” when it’s bland or conventional, even if it has nothing to do with the color. In Saudi Arabia, in contrast, the color beige is a common color of the traditional bisht cloak. It’s seen as a color of esteem. In China, beige is representative of sophistication and harmony.
The color beige used in technology.
Beige color took on the working world 50 years ago and provided a sense of consistency in office technology. In the 1960s, telephone company AT&T introduced a phone they marketed as beige. Twenty years later, the first computers introduced into offices had beige casings. These boxy, beige computers were universal until the introduction of the laptop.