In the past, I never really thought about using pink in my décor. I always opted for its bolder sister red, but my love affair with this colour soon ran its course. Red is the colour of love but can also be seen as an aggressive colour and can easily overstimulate which is not a great colour to have in the home.

I started using less red in my home, preferring the more neutral tones of green and blue and I quickly discovered that pink was pretty much the perfect tone to use with these colours. My living room began it’s decorating journey with dark emerald greens and wood tones, but I slowly introduced pink to soften the mood and love how pink and green go together. I wrote a blog post about the perfect pairing, pink and green, here. 

Pink can also be seen as a neutral. There are so many different shades of pink such as blush, dusky pink, magenta, nude, rose and baby pink, there really is a pink for everybody to use in the home.

Pink is a very flexible colour and can be used to soften stronger colours like dark navy blue or strong emerald green. Soft pink is a great alternative to beige colours with many homes adapting their wall colour from the universally disliked magnolia to the softer pink shades of Farrow & Ball Calamine or Little Greene Pink Slip 

Why does Pink still carry a stigma?

I know a lot of people are still not convinced about using pink in their homes. I get a lot of DMs via Instagram from women saying they love the pink in my home but their husband/partner would never allow them to paint a room pink!

Funny how in 2021, some people still find pink offensive.

Pink is often associated with love and romance, so does it make men feel they are losing their masculinity by having a pink cushion in their home? I dunno!! Apparently, Norwich city Football Club painted their opponents dressing room pink as it could potentially lower testosterone levels and aggression and give the Norwich team an edge. So, if your partner is vehemently opposed to having pink, maybe he’s the very person who needs pink in his life? Haha.

How to use Pink in your home

Paint your walls

One of my favourite colours to go on my walls is pink! I have a bright pink chimney breast in our guest bedroom and love the bright pop of colour it brings to the room.

It doesn’t have to be so in your face though, you can go for more subtle pink colours (and for those people who have partners that don’t like pink, start with one of these shades). Start with painting a feature wall and live with it for a bit. If you find that you love the colour, be brave and paint the whole room! 

Pink accents

If you don’t want to go painting walls in pink just yet, think of all the accessories you could use with accents of pink. Cushions, curtains, rugs, bedding and homewares in pink help soften a room and bring a little colour. Pink works brilliantly in Scandi and Boho interiors!

That coveted pink statement sofa

Try and think outside the box when it comes to choosing a sofa colour! Pink is once again a fabulous alternative to the cream, grey and brown sofas we see in so many homes and with a huge variety of shades and tones to choose from, you can pick out a colour that will be forgiving on stains or make a real statement in your living room.

Pink furniture

I do love a bit of upcycling and I have seen several accounts on Instagram paint their furniture beautiful shades of pink. Chest of drawers, wardrobes and dressers have all been getting the pink treatment and making me want to reach for the paintbrush (again).

If you don’t fancy doing it yourself, furniture shops have been getting onboard with the trend with some perfectly pink pieces of furniture to choose from.

Pink Tiles

Don’t fancy painting a wall pink? How about adding pink tiles to your kitchen or bathroom? Keep the pink a neutral shade like dusky pink or blush so it provides a subtle background to your white bathroom suite or kitchen cabinets. You could even introduce pink tiles on the floor.

Pink accessories

Lighting, tableware, bath mats, faux flowers, vases. How about introducing a little bit of pink into a room with some inspired accessories and I promise you your pink obsession will grow from there.

Pink doors

And last, but not least, the omnipresent pink doors! Pink seems to be the colour of choice at the moment with many a front door going a colour of blush! And I can see why…

When we first moved into our house, our front door was painted a garish neon pink and I disliked it immensely. We hastily painted it a gloss emerald green but I now wish I could change it back. I think the number of front doors going pink these days just goes to show how much pink is being accepted as a fabulous colour to decorate with and pretty much goes with anything!

Phew! I’m all pinked out. I think I may have to go and find a dark room to lie down in for a while as I feel quite calm and restful as if a big pink fluffy cloud has wrapped its arms around me and given me a big hug.

This is why I love pink! I think, perhaps, people still see it as a childish colour and reserved for girls bedrooms only. But if you use it as a neutral with other stronger colours, it really can have a soothing effect on a room that makes it welcoming, cosy and serene.

Mel x