Long-time advocate Kelly Hoppen on the return of her signature shade
Or perhaps it never went away? Kelly Hoppen explains the rise of beige 2.0, how to work it and why she never stopped being on ‘Beige Watch’
When I got my MBE, Rory Bremner joked it stood for Makes Beige Exciting
beige has always been my go-to, and it is so synonymous with me that the ‘Hoppen Style’ became an adjective. Many a tongue-in-cheek headline has been written about it, calling me the ‘Queen of Beige’ and putting me on ‘Beige Watch,’ and when I got my MBE in 2009 Rory Bremner did a speech where he said the award stood for ‘Makes Beige Exciting’. How did I feel about it? Honestly? It’s always made me laugh.
Now, trend watchers are saying beige is back but for me it never really left. It’s been by my side throughout my career, though I have noticed over the last year that neutrals are being turned to more widely again. People want light, harmony and balance, and they’re finally understanding how calming beige tones are. Having spent so much time at home recently, it’s natural to be reconsidering the way we live, and neutrals really tie into the focus we now put on our mental health and wellbeing – they truly create serenity and allow you to relax. Beige is such a grounding colour and I am convinced that being surrounded by it makes you feel better mentally.
For the sceptics among you, perhaps you’ve not caught up to beige 2.0 – the tone, or at least the way it is being used, has changed vastly since I began my career. Even the name fell out of fashion, it was put in a cupboard with chipboard paper and magnolia – those 60s tropes that were no longer stylish – and called ‘taupe’ and ‘stone’ and ‘linen’ instead. Now, it has been reinvigorated by a troupe of Belgian creatives who are working with it beautifully. Take Axel Vervoordt, whose interiors are extraordinary – very neutral with pops of colour. I also admire the simplicity of House of Grey’s less-is-more approach and the eclectic style of Pierre Augustin Rose’s neutrals.
What we’re seeing is that pale tones and beige can be cool and cutting edge. Beige allows you to put your own identity into a home using accents of colour – and that means that you can change your space constantly.
It’s the perfect backdrop. I’m approaching beige differently myself now, too. It’s well documented in my books that mixing it with taupe was an absolute no-no – I even used to lecture this theory sternly in my school. However,
I’ve seen the light and it now makes me chuckle after all of those years of saying you couldn’t do it that I’ve had a volte-face. The quest for softness we’re all on now is met perfectly by this pairing.
The key, though, to creating a modern beige space is all still about texture. When I started my business aged 17 I loved simple fabrics like calico, ticking and hessian, which would traditionally go underneath upholstery – I used them as textiles in their own right, focusing on juxtaposing them with expensive fabrics like Fortuny silks, and that’s how my signature style of neutral hues with layers of texture began. Now, my main tip is to go for three or four different tones in a space, each a different texture, such as a bouclé with a satin, a linen and a calico.
For beige walls, make sure you paint your skirting boards, architraves and ceiling in the same colour, not in white – I’ve just launched my ultimate six neutral paint shades in collaboration with Lick if you need a starting point. Also, always make sure to check your tones carefully – be they paint, fabric or flooring – in natural daylight as it’s the only way to see colour properly. Otherwise it’s like doing your make-up in a dark room – you go outside and you look like a clown.
What I like most about this beige renaissance is the realisation by many that beige has stood the test of time. It has evolved and I definitely think it’s here to stay. Simple, soft and soothing, it’s what people want and need right now. You can knock it until you’re blue in the face, but I will always stand by beige.
Kelly’s neutral paint range for Lick has just launched; lickhome.com; kellyhoppeninteriors.com
“Neutrals really tie into the focus that we are now putting on our mental health and wellbeing”