To think you should not paint your house beige?

[Genuineuser]

My good friend is paying a lot of money to have her house repainted. They’ve gone for one colour, ‘Natural Calico’, which appears to be a repackaging of beige. Am I being unreasonable to tell her this is a terrible idea?

I much prefer beige to grey.

Beige is a soft warm colour. Grey just reminds me of a prison block and will be very dated soon.

I like it!
It’s not yellow! Are you looking at the colour of the Dulux tin (which is yellow) rather than the paint colour?

I'm not a fan of beige. Then was a trend some years back that nearly every interior I saw was painted a horrible yellow cream.

They can paint how they want but far too often people follow a trend and paint the same colours as everyone else.

I like something a little different.

Has she asked for your opinion? If not I'd keep my thoughts to myself. You wouldn't randomly comment on not liking your friend's choice if shoes/ coats/ dress/ whatever after all unless you have got that kind of relationship.

‘Terrible idea’ is a bit strong.

I live two minutes from a bright pink house. Has given DD ideas I'd rather she didn't have..

Next door but one are currently having their house rendered a type of beige in place of the previous pebbledash. It looks much nicer.

Apologies, I read this as the house being painted externally but I think you mean indoors?

in which case, YANBU, that shade I’d Dulux is awful, like ambrosia creamed rice. But it’s her house I guess.

Sorry op YABU and YAW (you are wrong) as there is nothing wrong with natural Calico, or beige.

The colour that someone paints walls inside their own house is incredibly personal and subjective. What one person loves, another will hate. You are not 'correct' in thinking that this is a bad colour choice - there's no such thing.

There's no right and wrong or 'terrible ideas' here. It's someone's preference for a colour in their home. Everyone has different tastes.

The lounge in our old house was natural calico and it was lovely, all calming and warm, not at all yellow. That house had a lot of naturals and it suited it well.

in this house we have skimming stone in the lounge which is probably a similar tone but with a more red root. We have a lot more bold colours here too because it’s a period house with high ceilings and can take the paint up to the picture rail no issue. In fact (with the exception of the lounge which has a large feature fireplace) the paler colours we used early on don’t look so good.

We have Egyptian cotton in one of the bedrooms. I prefer this colour. More nutty. Would I want it all over the house? No.

Inside?

I hate walls painted white. They seem so cold and clinical. Most of our house is painted in shades of beige/stone and I love it. If you pick the right shade it's warm and cosy rather than dowdy.

I think you're being really weird about it.

people should paint their houses whatever colour they like.

What colour are your walls OP? (Not being sarky; am genuinely interested as to what your taste is like).

You’re behind the times, OP. Yellowy cream (and indeed beige) is back in. 🤷‍♀️

I want to paint mine black but I don’t think my neighbours would appreciate it 😂😂

My living room is natural hessian and hasn't yellowed - decorated with wood furniture it's lovely, warm and cosy. My kitchen is industrial blue and white, total opposite but again I love that too

I think you are being unreasonable as it is her house. And I am responding as someone who hates beige to the extent I have no beige clothes.

As long as there are no "statement walls"

My house is natural calico on the outside and all one colour which is a heritage white on the inside. Can’t remember which one. I think it looks great.

I like bright white walls personally. But each to their own.

Are you jealous she’s having her home decorated?

Sounds lovely. I had my house painted cream in most rooms and a couple white about 5 years ago. Hate grey, I painted over my very nice browny beige living room to grey in my old flat and hated it. I'm thinking of doing my kitchen a terracotta colour, it's north facing and think it would look warmer. I like warm tones and always have done.

Beige and taupe can make a drab house look smart and create a backdrop for vibrant garden colours. I'd much rather these than the grey that is everywhere right now. Miserable!

BTW, please inform this clueless Australian: Why do some English houses have a pebbledash facade? I quite like it, as it looks like muesli, but am wondering if it serves some practical purpose such as waterproofing porous walls.