Nate Berkus' Go-To Neutral Paint Color Matches One Of This Year's Biggest Trends

When building, remodeling, or refreshing a home, a neutral interior paint color is usually considered a safe choice. But with so much variation between grays, whites, beiges, and all their subtle undertones, it's surprisingly difficult to settle on the perfect shade. Interior designer, television celebrity, and author Nate Berkus is known for implementing a lot of neutral tones in his designs, so it makes sense that fans would turn to him by the dozens to try to pick his brain for the perfect paint color. "I'm very flattered that a lot of you have been reaching out and asking me what are my go-to paint colors when I'm painting a room neutral," said Berkus in an Instagram reel, "Once and for all, I'm sharing the swatches that I use most often ... for Ben Moore, it's Alabaster, Swiss Coffee, Smokey Taupe, and Snowfall White."

Three of these go-to colors are shades of white. One, however, stands out from the crowd, and that's Smokey Taupe. Benjamin Moore describes Smokey Taupe as a "widely appealing neutral that offers just a touch of warmth." Although Berkus has been bathing homes in the color for quite some time, Smokey Taupe is right in line with this year's major color trend: soft and warm taupes. It wasn't too long ago that cool grays and brilliant whites seemed all the rage, but today paint colors are moving toward a more natural, grounding approach. Of course, taupe is arguably a timeless color that's always a great choice for modern homes, but adding it now could give your space the modern, fresh feel it needs — and the cozy vibe that Nate Berkus loves.

Taupe is an interesting color in its own right. Toeing the line between tan and gray, taupe leans slightly cooler and rosier than beige, which has more yellow undertones. Benjamin Moore's Smokey Taupe, in particular, offers a bit more depth than other, "cleaner" taupes, making it a good fit for rooms with bright lighting. Smokey Taupe also shows significant tone variation, depending on the room's orientation and the time of day. In the bright morning light, it feels more white, but slips into a warm, welcoming shade under sunset and evening lamplight.

Because of its cozy quality, the bedroom could be one of the best rooms to paint Smokey Taupe, especially if you want to follow in Nate Berkus' footsteps. "I used to like really light monochromatic bedrooms because to me they were calming after being surrounded by fabric and color and pattern all day long," Berkus explained in an Architectural Digest interview (via YouTube), "Now I'm reaching for richer, warmer toffees, putties, deeper earth tones in bedrooms because I feel like those colors wrap themselves around you." Of course, the color also plays nicely in living areas, dining rooms, and even bathrooms. 

Smokey Taupe is an unexpected and trendy neutral, but it might not be the best neutral color for every room in your home. While it is generally versatile, Smokey Taupe can run muddy in dark rooms with north-facing windows. If Smokey Taupe isn't quite the right fit, play around with similar shades, like Benjamin Moore's Cedar Key or Desert Light, which are a tad lighter but still warm and soft enough to remain on-trend. Just stay away from any neutral that's too green- or yellow-toned, a color choice that Berkus wishes people would stop using.