Behr Perfect Taupe Review – Why I chose this color for my home
When I was painting our main bedroom, I was set on a color that was a little bit gray, and a little bit brown … in other words, the perfect taupe. After sampling a whole bunch of options that were a little to purple, a little too pink, or a little too gray, I tried a color that spelled out exactly what I was looking for: Behr Perfect Taupe. And wouldn’t you know it lived up to its name.
If you’re looking for the best shade of taupe to paint your bedroom — or any room for that matter — here’s more about the hue, plus why I chose this color.
[TIP: Regardless of which color you choose, it’s always a good idea to order paint samples before committing to a color, and recently started using Samplize, which makes peel & stick paint samples that are so easy to use].
What color is Behr Perfect Taupe?
Perfect Taupe is neutral, medium toned shade of brownish-gray. It’s got a Light Reflective Value, or LRV of 42, which makes it a deep, but not dark, color. LRV measures the brightness of paint colors on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being pure black, and 100 being pure white. To compare, Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy, for example, has an LRV of 6 while Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, one of it’s brightest whites, has an LRV of 91.7.
Colors between 40-60 tend to be a happy medium between a light, bright space and a dark, moody one. They set the tone for a room without overwhelming it.
Behr Perfect Taupe Undertones
The RGB (or Red, Green Blue) makeup is as follows: R 182 G 172 B 160. Because all of the color components are nearly even, this shade is considered a true neutral, with a touch of a warm undertone, which is why I chose it. Taupe can easily skew purple, pink, or even yellow, and I wanted something that was none of the above. The color looks like a neutral, without a strong cast of another shade.
Does taupe look gray?
One of the things I was worried about when I painted our bedroom and closet a taupe color, is that it would end up looking gray. I didn’t want a gray bedroom, because to me, a lot of gray shades feel cold, and it’s been such an overused color in last few years that it also feels a little boring.
Taupe has a lot of the same pros a gray – it’s neutral, it has depth and it’s soothing and serene. But, it has a warmth that gray doesn’t have, which makes it more inviting, but also more unique and interesting. I mean, it’s still taupe, so it’s not that interesting, but moreso than gray.
At the same time, in some lights, taupe can end up looking like a warm gray or pewter color. In other lights, its brown side shows through a bit more. So, I think it’s always best to try out a few shades in your space before committing to one. If you’re painting a south-facing room that’s flooded with light, for example, you might want to go for a deeper shade of taupe with more brown undertones so that the color doesn’t get washed out.
If you’re looking for a color that’s a touch more brown, Behr Smokestack is a good option, and for a slightly darker shade, try Smoked Tan.
How I used Perfect Taupe in my home
Like I said, I chose Perfect Taupe for my bedroom when we first moved into our home in 2018. I love the color because it’s warm, neutral, and just a little bit different that all of the other neutrals I had been seeing. I especially love it at night, when it’s enveloping and cozy, but not too dark.
A few years later, I still love it! I ended up painting our closet the same shade, and may do something similar in our powder room remodel later this year.
Colors that go with Perfect Taupe
Personally, I think the shade goes perfectly with an equally serene color palette, like soft whites, greens, and unlacquered brass.
I used it with a mostly neutral palette, accented with green, and I think it look fab.
According to Behr, some of the colors that complement Perfect Taupe include:
–Millennium Silver, a dark blue-gray
–Hummus, a tan-tinged yellow
–Vanilla Frost, a warm white
–Eucalyptus Wreath, a medium evergreen