Why beige is so popular and how to avoid a lifeless look
Every era has its own design aesthetic. In the 1970s, interiors embraced a riot of color and pattern, from orange and yellow kitchen cabinets to bold geometric and floral fabrics in deep purple, magenta and lime green.
For those who lived through it, the ’80s were equally unforgettable, with big shoulders, bigger earrings, layered pastel shirts and pulled-up jacket sleeves, and pale pinks, peach and mint green interiors combined with splashes of bright electric blue, black and red contrasted with soft gray or polished chrome or brass.
Love them or hate them, these were bold statements where the homeowners’ personality shined through.
So what will interior design be remembered for in the 2020s? It’s probably beige.
under the influence
Whether it’s quiet luxury or Byron Bay boho, SJS Interior Design Director Sarah Marriott says her social media accounts are full of interiors in cream and caramel tones and not much else.
“This is what influencers are showing, particularly in Byron, with viral trends towards the beige and white land of icing on cream. [Bay]”he says.
And homeowners are turning to what they see as a fail-safe pallet.
“It’s natural that customers see this as trending. Even the ‘click and collect’ options of Temu and Fast Furniture are all cream and boucle.”
Interior designer and stylist Jono Fleming admits that the warm gray tones of the last few years have given way to a palette that starts with warm whites and ends with chocolate brown. While it provides a cohesive look, it also runs the risk of becoming lifeless, he says.
In a recent Instagram post, she lamented the lack of color, referring to brown as beige with “better PR.”
finding your own style
Fleming regularly visits clients’ homes to offer advice on ways to bring their personality to a space. While beige may seem like a chic option to some, she says that doesn’t mean it creates the sense of sanctuary or connection that many people desire.
“After doing 80 consultations [last year] “When you go to people’s homes, those who wear beige will say, ‘It still doesn’t look like me,'” he says.
He argues that there’s nothing inherently wrong with a warm white and beige palette, but that alone can leave rooms feeling incomplete.
“Beige is really a safety net for people who don’t have the design skills to throw color into it. They say, ‘Beige is what I like and it’s my taste, because you can’t go wrong. It blends together and it all looks harmonious.'”
A position supported by paint sales. Lauren Treloar, Dulux’s color and design manager, says the interior white range remains the most sought-after colours.
“Whites are our most popular colours, but we’re seeing warm, soothing colors like whites and neutrals continue to be preferred,” he says. “There’s the quiet luxury trend that’s still very popular. People really prefer understated sophistication over flashier, louder design.”
Resale factor
Ray White’s Sydney-based real estate agent Matthew Carvalho says homeowners who deny the power of beige can also end up paying dearly when it comes time to sell.
“Nobody has a problem with white,” he says. “Sometimes I go to houses, especially old houses, with mustard or dark red paint on the walls.
“It might have looked great back in the day with the heavy wood in the door frame, but some of those darker colors can be quite polarizing for the buyer, especially if it was done a while ago.”
Carvalho suggests that whatever you spend on painting your property warm white before the sale will pay you back tenfold at auction.
“So a $10,000 paint job adds $100,000 to the price,” he says.
If you’re planning to use colorful interiors before selling, Carvalho says expert design advice is helpful to ensure the palette doesn’t turn off buyers.
“I wouldn’t paint it with color unless I got good advice from a design professional,” he says.
beyond neutral
Marriott says some customers are afraid to step outside the warm white palette because they have a hard time imagining what it will look like and think it will be harder to live with than a neutral color.
“A lot of people think colors will wear out, but they never do,” he says. “If you really hate it, you can repaint it. [room schemes] We transfer it to artificial intelligence or make 3D designs and sketches; It’s now a quick and easy process.”
While her Instagram posts may show off a picture-perfect home, she says a “cut and paste” approach to styling can fail.
“The perfect homes that influencers show off don’t exist in real life,” he says. “Boho is good if you’re in the inner Byron, but most of the time the house tells you its own style.”
Fleming suspects some of the concerns about moving beyond the cream and caramel palette are underscored by resale concerns.
“Of course, real estate agents will tell you that adding too many personal touches to a renovation isn’t the best approach and that ‘you need to be neutral to sell,'” he says. “From a design standpoint, everything is going to be current anyway. Eventually, whatever the plain white wave is today will be obsolete in five to 10 years, possibly even within five years.”
Even if you choose to keep your walls white, adding personal touches like something from your travels, a multicolored rug, or a piece of art you love can create a sense of warmth and connection that can help provide the palette for the rest of the room, she says.
Beige will be with us for a while, but it is not static. Fleming says the resulting style is distinctive rather than muted, Instagram-worthy luxury.
“People are buying furniture from Facebook Marketplace and vintage stores to add personality; it’s become a ‘counter-trend’ trend. Beige will thrive.”
Robyn Willis is a property journalist and former lifestyle editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
