Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan – a great neutral paint color to consider this year.
I’m excited to share with you everything you need to know about this beautiful, neutral tan color.
Walls of our old Vermont condo painted in Manchester Tan by Benjamin Moore.
Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan
I’m so glad so many of you are finding this post on how to pick the best ceiling paint so helpful!
Within this post I briefly mentioned our condo in Vermont, which we recently sold.
Not only did this jog my memory of the pretty paint colors we used here, but I suddenly felt a bit sentimental about this home.
This was the first remodel project we took on mostly by ourselves and it’s actually the origin of this whole blog!
So, not only am I happy to discuss this great looking beige paint color, but this post is also a swan song to this condo which served us so well for many years!
Living Room / Family room painted in Manchester Tan.
Since we painted SO many walls with Manchester Tan here, I figured a full post on this color would be a great idea!
Manchester Tan is a warm, beige with a great depth of color.
In the interior design world this is considered to be a neutral paint color.
As you can see in the shot of our open plan living room above, this color looks great in natural light.
HC-81 Manchester Tan is part of the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection
It sounds a bit silly, but since this condo was just outside Manchester, Vermont I decided to give this sample a try based on the name alone!
With all the natural wood elements and stone accent walls in this space, the Historical Collection colors turned out to make a lot of sense for this project.
If you’re looking for a warm, neutral beige wall color, this Benjamin Moore paint could be the one.
We gave the condo’s basement a fresh look by painting the walls and trim all the same color.
We gave the condo’s basement a fresh look by Manchester Tan in natural light vs. artificial light
As you can see from my photos, this color looks different in natural light and artificial light.
With samples on the walls, and after careful consideration, we decided we loved how it looked in both types of light.
We also considered both Benjamin Moore’s Shaker Beige and Sherwin William’s Kilim Beige for this project.
We obviously chose Manchester Tan because it looks just a bit warmer and it made the whole space look inviting without any significant difference in the day to night lighting.
I also liked how it complimented the stone fireplace and the natural wood panels in this space.
I think it’s a great neutral paint which will work in so many different rooms.
Family rooms and living rooms are two spaces which I know look great in this color.
I’ve been asked if this has a green undertone?
Honestly? I don’t know.
I don’t bother with this type of analysis because I’m not a “color expert” in this sense.
So, I just literally go with my gut and what I think looks good.
Truthfully, most of the time, when people talk about undertones, I think it has more to do with colors of things in the actual room, itself.
Floor color, southern vs. northern light, there’s so many variables which can have a big impact on the way a paint color is perceived.
The hutch and kitchen cabinets here are Elephants Breath by Farrow and Ball.
Conclusion
Ultimately you need to love the paint colors you choose for your walls.
Which is why I can’t recommend trying it out as a sample in your home first.
Because, as you can see from my photos above – even the surrounding light from one room to another can differ.
This change in light will dramatically alter the look of any paint color.
Live with a few samples for a few days before making your final decision.
Always be sure to test the color in natural and artificial light too!
Samplize Paint Samples
Also, another great way to test out a paint color is to get these large self sticking paint samples.
Doesn’t this sound so clever?
No messy paint cans to deal with before you commit! Win/win!
If you’re at all curious, you can find them here and try it out as a sample in your home first!
Samplize paint swatch of BM Manchester Tan
Hopefully, you found this post helpful.
If you do end up using Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan in your home, let me know!
Even better, send me a photo – I’d love to see it.
If you’d like, you can always see more of our current home here.
If you have any other questions, please shoot me an email or leave it in the comments below.
I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan HC-81
Which reminds me… I’ve already answered a popular inquiry on the best white paint colors to use for trim and baseboards, (just in case your wondering:)
I also wrote a similar paint color review on another favorite neutral paint color – Benjamin Moore Putnam Ivory.
Additional Paint Color Inspiration:
If you’re looking for even more gray and greige paint color inspiration and home design ideas, be sure to check out these other posts by clicking on each title below-
- Benjamin Moore Calm
- Farrow and Ball Elephant’s Breath
- Benjamin Moore Cumulus Cloud
- Top gray paint colors
- Alabaster White Paint Review
- Benjamin Moore Cape Hatteras Sand
- Lavender Ice Paint Review
- How to pick the best Benjamin Moore paint color
- Chantilly Lace Paint Review
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige paint review
- The Best Greige Paint Colors For Your Home
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray paint review
Last, but not least…
Design lovers! Have you joined our fun and VERY helpful design Facebook group?
In this group – members share their own photos with specific design questions and dilemmas from their homes and spaces.
Everyone chimes in with their best advice!
We also spill our favorite design sources and tips – it’s SO great for hunting down hard to find items and pieces.
Lastly, to help you even further with your home projects, download my FREE DESIGN CHEAT SHEET!
It’s loaded with all sorts of quick tips and handy measurements.
Sign up below to grab this, it’ll be super helpful!
And finally...be sure to PIN THIS IMAGE BELOW – this way you’ll have all this info conveniently saved for your next home project!
*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase something, I may get a small commission from it at no cost to you. For more info, please read my disclaimer. I only refer things that I truly love and hope you will too!
Hi!
I love your comments on paint colors! Choosing a paint color is torture for me. I am painting my living room and dining room combo (with lots of woodwork) in Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan.
I’m trying to find a lighter color for under the chair rail. If you have any suggestions, please email ASAP, since the painters have painted the bright white trim today, and they will be ready for the walls tomorrow morning! Yikes!
Thank you so much!
Hi, I’d go with a lighter version of the same color. Ask painters to half the paint percentage (add 50% white paint) or less, try out a few samples…good luck~
Hi!
I love your comments on paint colors! Choosing a paint color is torture for me. I am painting my living room and dining room combo (with lots of woodwork) in Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan.
I’m trying to find a lighter color for under the chair rail. If you have any suggestions, please email ASAP, since the painters have painted the bright white trim today, and they will be ready for the walls tomorrow morning! Yikes!
Thank you so much,
Melanie
Love this color! (On my screen, the square samplize patch is much closer to the actual color than the round splotch.) Almost 10 years ago, we purchased a townhome and were having the entire place, walls, woodwork, ceilings, painted prior to moving in. A block away, a multi million dollar townhouse was also being renovated. I walked in one day and it had just been painted the most beautiful, crisp, elegant colors. I stalked the place until the painters returned from lunch! The colors were BM Manchester Tan on the walls – all the walls on the entire first floor and up the two-story ceiling and family room, paired with crisp BM Decorator’s White on the stunning trim.
I went back and specified those two colors for my new place. 10 years later I am so glad I did, it still looks Amazing, and I often get asked what color is on my walls and trim.
I never warmed up to the gray trend, and now that it is over, the greiges and beiges that look so great and inviting are back!
I also think the crisp white trim does wonders with this color.
Thanks for posting.
Yes, the samplize looks a lot like the true color here as well! That is SUCH a great story! So smart of you to source paint colors this way! We’ve found great contractors using a similar tactic, thanks for sharing!