Times and Tides of a Beachwriter is brought to you today by the most boring colour…
Stevie Turner suggested I tackle beige, I don’t think she claimed it as her favourite colour. If it is I hope she won’t be offended. You can visit her blog here where she does a great job supporting other bloggers.
https://steviet3.wordpress.com/2019/06/01/share-your-short-story-june-2019/
Is beige the most boring colour? Knowing I was going to write this, a friend described a live show many moons ago when a well know comedian was making jokes about ladies in beige twin sets and my friend was wearing one; she shrunk down in her seat.
Is beige even a colour? Here is a picture of the most boring Poole Pottery ever made. Created in the 1970’s it was called mushroom and sepia, but it is a far cry from their earlier patterns or the fiery red vases they are famous for.
Here at Chez Tidalscribe there is a family joke about those useful gilets with lots of very useful pockets that the older man likes to wear … and they are always beige. My late uncle used to wear one and we are always seeing uncle lookalikes. Cyberspouse is determined never to buy one.
But where does beige come from? It takes its name from the French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached nor dyed. It has come to be used to describe a variety of light tints chosen for their neutral or pale warm appearance. Paint manufacturers make up many exotic names for paint that is really just shades of beige and there is nothing wrong with painting your house in neutral colours to look light and clean, you can always get bright curtains. Hmmm I have just realized we have beigish curtains, bought in Debenham’s sale years ago. They tone down the butterscotch walls and the orange throws and turquoise cushions on the multi coloured sofa…
When grandchild number one was expected the parents didn’t want to know the sex, so the nursery was decorated in beige and looked calm and soothing. When number two was on the way they did want to know; they were delighted it would be a girl this time, so the nursery was decorated in every shade of pink and in her cot the baby’s face took on an orange glow when the evening sun shone through the cerise curtains.
Beige; do you love it or hate it?
Fashion or interior design?
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 
In decorating, I love it only with some healthy splashes of red thrown in!
LikeLiked by 2 people
It certainly exists on animal fur/wool/feathers, but I can only tolerate it as a foil for real color. I tend to dress and decorate like a pack of crayons. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pack of crayons – I love that description. I knit cardigans with leftover yarn donated by knitting friends – I think I’ll call them pack of crayons style.
LikeLike
Interesting. Do I like beige? No, I react just as most people seem to: it’s boring. But actually, I do like neutral colours. I like restful and calming. I think of my daughter-in-law who wears a lot of neutral colours but uses texture and fabric variety and always looks stunning. So I think that in my case it’s the word I dislike – not the shades themselves. I’m going to think of the word with its French meaning in future!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Sandra. I admire people who know how to use colours, even beige, to look their best.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not fond of beige. I always wear pink or yellow.Beige does go well with everything so it is a good base colour.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Robbie, pink and yellow are among my favourite colours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with Robbie. Beige is a good base color.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Robert, yes perhaps we need the dull colours to bring out the bright colours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love beige! I want to wear it, but I’m pale an blonde! I love the large cabled fishermen sweaters, the utility coats, linen pants… all in beige. Home decorating… a few key pieces, mixed with brights!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks – how great to hear from a beige supporter, in the right hands beige decor will look elegant.
LikeLike
Ha ha, love it! Didn’t know the word beige was French. Beige is good on walls I think, as you can then go to town with the rest of the room and it won’t look too garish.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Stevie. It sounds as if most of us prefer beige to stay on walls – with colour added to the room.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beige is Ok if you throw a colourful scarf with it. But it can be very boring on its own. We often call someone bland or dull a beige person. Perhaps that is mean. I once painted the walls of my apartment cafe au lait which sounds so much better. Then I decorated with colourful items. It worked well. Of course, we all have beige days when we wish someone would through some colour our way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Darlene. Yes I think beige is condemmed to stay quietly in the background, like the beige people you know!
LikeLiked by 1 person