Play With Color: When Pink Rooms Work

Yes, pink is a more versatile color than you think.

When I was younger I despised pink – perhaps in defiance of the color-gender stereotype. But as my love for design has grown, so too has my love for the once-abhorred color. I've even become that girl who convinces her boyfriend to wear it ("No babe, that shirt's not pink, it's salmon!").

In fact, if I didn't live with said boyfriend and thus have to strictly abide by the gender-neutral rules of decorating, my entire apartment would be dashed with a variety of pink hues. But in this hypothetical world, I would also have to tread lightly. Decorating with this color is a highly strategic, tricky process, because when it comes to pink there's a fine line between perfect and Pepto Bismol.

Living vicariously through ShelterPop, I decided to round up an assortment of inspiring pink rooms that master this color balance with ease while proving its versatility.

Maybe someday I'll use one of these to inspire my own makeover – I'm even working on the excuses now: "Babe, raspberry is the new red!" "Did you know that Chuck Norris' favorite color was fuchsia?" "Obviously the color is amazing, the band wasn't known as 'Blue Floyd!'"





1. Soft Pinks


Perhaps the most classic shade of pink used in decorating is a muted, creamy tone. If your style is more traditional, this is the hue for you – though it does tend to be perceived as the "most girly," so keep it in small doses if you have a gender-shared space.

Soft pink walls in a bathroom establish a Parisian romanticism. But only go this route if your fixtures match the style (i.e. If you have sleek, modern fixtures you're better suited to opt for a more modern hue in the raspberry family.) This shade might also be better for a small powder room than a large master bath.

In any room, keep other colors to a minimum. Crisp white is a great way to offset the pink and prevent the room from feeling too muted. But mixing in other color accents could easily take you from tasteful to tacky.

2. Medium Pinks

Our bedrooms are our private spaces, and thus provide the best opportunity to go a little wild with our decor personalities. Either of these palettes used in a living room might be too strong, but here they perfectly push the limits.

In the room at left, bright bubble-gum pink serves as a simple accent to modernize an otherwise cottage-country style (Imagine if that bright pink were instead a cream or pale lavender). To achieve this, select a bolder hue from your primary focal point (in this case a wallpaper pattern, though it could be a large piece of artwork or a bold-patterned comforter) and add it in solid doses in no more than two or three other areas, such as drapery panels and pillows.

The room at right could easily be debated as overkill for some people, but boho chic fanatics will love its edgy, envelope-pushing use of pink. Choose pinks in the same pigment range. For help, pick your primary color from a fan deck then stick to that page in selecting accent pinks. Then augment this range with a bold accent, like cherry red – or even aubergine or turquoise. If you have the ability to dark wash your furniture, door and flooring (as pictured) definitely do so; this look wouldn't work as well with mix-matched woods.

3. Pops of Pink


Small, but powerful doses of color can have just as much impact as painting an entire room. This is especially the case with bright pink. A simple piece of artwork or accent chair can add some much-needed oomph to an otherwise calm interior (as shown in both cases above).

Although the chandelier in the image at left is a more fixed accent, the easy DIY artwork (paint a large canvas a solid color, then cover a smaller canvas in wallpaper and attach) is a perfect way to liven your interior with a pop of pink – and an easy switch to a new color when you tire of it. The bright, coral pink can also read as more red, and thus might be an easier sell to those pink-hesitant men in your life.

At right, the serene modern living space comes to life with a pink armchair and small bouquets. One bold pop of pink with a single piece of furniture (or slipcover for the serious commitment-phobes) is a beautiful accent to soothing grays. Because this space (as well as the one at left) is a shared living area, pink works best in small doses. Of course, I wouldn't be totally against painting that back wall (at right) a vibrant fuchsia. Just a suggestion.

4. Hot Pinks: Raspberry, Fuchsia and More


Raspberry, the muted sister of fuchsia, is a soothing version of pink that serves as a sort of neutral and thus can pair with a variety of colors, depending what mood you want to evoke.

Use it to spice up your kitchen with a retro-modern vibe. Green chairs are an unexpected color pairing but work against white cabinetry and wood in this kitchen (at left). In this layout -- little wall space for art or other items of interest -- pink paint is the perfect way to add interest. Plus, it's the kitchen, so it's OK to go a little wild.

For a more simple-and-sweet look using raspberry, take a step in the right direction and paint your stairs. If you love pink, this is an ideal area to have some fun. Keep the rest of the stairwell white and without art to that the space stays serene even with the bold color choice.

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