When you’re looking to renovate your home, or simply spruce up a room at a time, chances are you’ll have a good idea of the aesthetic you’re after.
There’s been a rising trend in using neutrals throughout a space, almost like a canvas which we can dress up or dress down depending on our changing tastes and evolving design trends.
Two of the most popular natural colour choices are cream and beige. Something worth bearing in mind is that the undertone of a colour can have an impact on its adaptability and suitability to your design aspirations. Before you commit to one shade of neutral wallpaper, take a look at the differences between cream wallpaper and beige wallpaper to help you create the living space of your dreams.
Cream Wallpaper
Using the word ‘cream’ to describe a colour invokes a sense of calm and sophistication. Lighter neutral colours (such as cream) help in creating the illusion of open spaces and come with the added benefit of being a great complimentary colour to a variety of other shades.
There is no single shade of cream wallpaper that is an exact match for any other. Most cream wallpapers are drawn off a unique colour combination, but one common factor in all shades of cream is that they have a warming effect.
Yellow, gold and orange undertones will compliment a cream wallpaper and this shade can easily be accented with bronze, copper and most other warm palettes.
Cream is also sometimes referred to as off-white, a catch-all to any colour that is not bright white. With so many variations of cream coloured wallpaper, your design options are endless. You can enhance a cream coloured room with pops of colour for a bold look, or use your neutral shade as the ideal canvas for a gallery wall.
Shades of Beige Wallpaper
Beige wallpaper typically has a cool or cold undertone, so it is best matched to finishing’s in silver, white and grey. Beige is not a cream or off-white colour; instead, it is light brown and oftentimes interchangeable with tan, light khaki, taupe, nude and stone.
A great way to make use of beige wallpaper’s cooling visual effect is to enhance it with grey and silver accessories – or in the case of wallpaper – with a cool-toned feature wall. As with any neutral shade, you can add a pop of colour for a daring finish, or keep it classic with an all-round beige finish.
What’s the difference between cream vs beige?
The differentiating factor between beige wallpaper and cream wallpaper is the undertone.
Beige has a grey, cool tint, while cream has a warmer, browner undercurrent. Depending on the accessories, furniture or design you have in mind, your choice between cream and beige wallpaper will largely depend on the ambiance you aim to create and of course – your own personal preference.
Creating a feature wall in cream colour room means a heavier focus on warmer colour gradients, and perhaps a warmer texture such as flock or velvet wallpaper, or a copper geometric pattern would work together to materialise your vision for a space.
When creating a showcase wall in a beige coloured room, you could opt for a metallic wallpaper or even a slate effect faux wallpaper in a cold colour palette to compliment the cooler undertone of the wallpaper.
Even though there are complimentary colours, warm and cool undertones and a variety of different shades to consider, the best colour is the one you love!
The best way to test the undertones and get a real feel for how either of these wallpaper shades will look in your home is to get your hands on a free sample. View our range of neutral coloured feature wall-wallpapers to bring your room to life or have a look through our plain wallpaper range today!