Why are neutral colours seen as classy?
When you think of chic design and timeless elegance, it might surprise you to learn that the same concepts apply to both the runway and your toilet! Beige and neutral tones, understated champions of the colour world, have been ruling the realms of fashion and interior design for centuries.
At Naked Sprout we make unbleached toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, and tissues. In a sea of bleached, dyed, and colourfully wrapped toilet rolls we love the way our unbleached, naturally coloured products stand out from the crowd.
Today we’re backing ourselves 100%, and exploring how and why neutral tones have stood the test of time.
The colourful history of beige
Neutral tones have a long history in both fashion and interior design. In the days before modern chemical dyes and mass production dyes and paints took time and resources to produce, and results could be patchy and short-lived. As a result, much of the everyday clothing and items people produced retained the natural colours of the raw materials; browns for wood and leather, creams and off-whites for fabric made from wool or linen, greys and browns for stone.
This palette resulted in a palette dominated by the creams, beiges, and browns that we now consider timeless. These colours were synonymous with simplicity and purity, often linked to natural, unbleached fabrics.
Fast forward to the early 20th century, and you’ll see this neutral, unfussy pallet repeated in wardrobes and homes all over the world.
Fashion’s love affair with neutrals
In fashion, we can start to chart the rise of beige with Coco Chanel, who famously declared, “I take refuge in beige because it’s natural.”
Chanel’s approach to fashion was all about understatement. A famous piece of advice from her was to put together a whole outfit including accessories, and then select one item to take away, to make the overall ensemble more chic. Chanel’s love of beige has a similar effect, the simplest and most natural colours don’t distract or draw the eye, leaving us better equipped to take in the elegance of the whole.
From the time of Chanel, neutrals have continued to dominate the fashion world. From the soft, draping silks of the 1920s to the camel coats and neutral suits of the 1990s, beige and its neutral cousins have been embraced by fashion icons and designers alike. Take Audrey Hepburn, for example, whose wardrobe was a masterclass in neutral elegance. Whether she was donning a simple beige trench coat or a sleek cream-coloured dress, Hepburn proved that you don’t need bold colours to make a bold statement.
Modern fashion continues this tradition, with store fronts and runways regularly dominated by neutral tones. For fashionistas the allure of these colours lies in their versatility. A beige cardigan or a pair of nude heels can be paired with almost anything, offering endless styling possibilities while maintaining an air of quiet sophistication.
Neutrals in the home
When it comes to interior design, neutrals are the ultimate blank canvas. They create a serene backdrop that allows other elements—textures, patterns, and accent colours—to shine. This approach has been embraced by designers for decades, from the minimalist pioneers of the mid-20th century to today’s Scandinavian-inspired interiors.
The beauty of a neutral palette is its ability to adapt to different styles and eras. In the 1950s, modernist designers like Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright used neutral tones to emphasise clean lines and natural materials. Their work was all about letting the materials and craftsmanship of a building speak for itself.
In contemporary homes, neutral tones continue to reign supreme. The “Hygge” trend, which emphasises cosiness and comfort, often features spaces adorned with soft beiges, warm greys, and creamy whites. These colours reflect natural light, making rooms feel more spacious and inviting.
Some people love a neutral pallet so much they go all out. In 2020 Kim Kardashian invited Architectural Digest into her LA home and, as always, caused a bit of a stir. The article featured images of a sparse and cavernous space with walls, furniture, and upholstery in unbroken shades of cream and beige. The article referred to the aesthetic as “uncompromising minimalism” but hordes of internet commentators declared it wildly impractical, especially with four small children in the home.
Kardashian defended her design choices by saying that the kids playroom was indeed colourful, just tucked away out of sight, and the neutral pallet of her home brought a much needed sense of calm to her life. We think she would approve of our sustainable tissue products. Their unbleached hues may be simple, but they blend effortlessly into any kitchen or bathroom décor, adding convenience without demanding attention.
Neutrality in sustainability
We couldn’t end this review of beige without bringing it back to nature. The toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, and facial tissues we make at Naked Sprout come in neutral, natural colours for a very simple reason; we don’t bleach them.
We also don’t dye them, wrap them in colourful dyed paper, or perfume them! Compared with their more brightly coloured cousins they can look a bit plain, but we agree with Coco Chanel that elegance comes from taking things away, not adding them.
And by keeping our products unbleached, we’re not adding chlorine or peroxide to water systems or using dyes that have to be mass produced and packaged. The old adage is true, sometimes less is more!
Timeless appeal: timeless tissue
In the modern world, where we’re surrounded by brightly coloured screens and the noise and visual clutter they bring, the calm and natural order of neutrals offers a refuge. Trends come and go, but neutral colours remain constant. Whether you’re wrapping yourself in a cosy jumper or reaching for one of our unbleached bamboo rolls, you’re embracing a tradition that’s as timeless as it is trendy.
So next time you’re looking for sustainable tissue products that will complement your home, don’t forget the quiet power of neutrals. They may not shout for attention, but simplicity speaks volumes.
We say on our boxes that your friends and family will ask about your brown toilet roll; now you know what to say. Our unbleached products come in the natural, neutral tones of their raw materials, and they’re not just brown, they’re chic as well!
Fancy adding some neutral sophistication to your home?
