What Colors Go With Taupe?

Taupe, Navy and White

• For a subtle look in any room, choose taupe and white as the main colors and add pops of navy to tie it all together. Or for a more dramatic look, choose navy and white as the main colors, with accents in taupe. Create shadow boxes with white trim for navy walls and hang art with taupe tones inside the boxes. Choose taupe ceramic plant pots, vases and other taupe accessories to pull the scheme together. Have a vintage sofa made over with navy painted woodwork and taupe upholstery in your choice of pattern.

Taupe, Cream and Lavender

• Shades of taupe and lavender pair well together, especially if you introduce cream tones into the mix. For a living room choose a taupe sofa or sectional and pair it with lavender pillows in different patterns and textures. Choose drapes with taupe and cream graphic prints for visual interest. Look for a vintage coffee table or accent chair you can refinish in lavender or taupe, depending on the direction you want to take. Paint the walls a soft shade of lavender with cream trim and crown moldings and add a taupe carpet beneath the living space furniture.

Taupe, Chocolate and White

• For a bedroom, choose dark chocolate hardwood floors, wood furniture and taupe textiles. Paint the walls a stark white or choose a white wallpaper with a taupe pinstripe, or another graphic print such as botanicals, arabesque, honeycomb or herringbone. Hang taupe silk curtains and dress the bed with a combination of white and taupe. Use chocolate hues to juxtapose light taupe accents in places such as throw pillows and the upholstery on a reading chair. Another idea is to paint the walls a deep shade of taupe, accented with white trim and wainscoting.

Monochromatic Tones

• Layer different shades of taupe and brown together for a monochromatic look. Choose textiles with texture and graphic prints to create a visually appealing space. For a modern look choose a taupe-colored damask wallpaper. Or paint the walls a medium shade of taupe as a base, and paint horizontal bands of glaze on top of the paint. The resulting effect will be stripes that will be apparent in different light levels. Add a light-colored, chunky wool throw on the dark taupe sofa and add throw pillows with botanical prints to complete the monochromatic look.