Painting Walls Pink? Make Sure You Do This One Thing!

Millennial Pink, the shade just shy of bubblegum that ranges from dusky ballerina to peachy salmon, is sweeping the design industry — and it’s just the thing to freshen up rooms for spring. There’s a decorating secret to successfully painting rooms pink it so it doesn’t come off as frivolous or saccharine. The trick? Use a moody hue as your secondary color to temper the shade’s warm tones. You may consult a professional painting company if you need some tips to perfectly execute your pink wall. Here are some of our favorite pastel pink and inky color combos, as shown in Farrow & Ball’s tome How to Decorate. 

The blue-grey headboard in this bedroom softens the cotton candy walls done in Farrow & Ball’s Nancy’s Blushes. The walls switch to white after the picture rail, which lets the room breathe.

When going for a softer, blush pink it’s important to ground the space in order for it to feel properly grown-up — that’s where the rich blue island comes in. Both shades skew classic, so modern black pendant lights are a welcome contrast while also tempering the light wall color.

A smart-looking desk, done in a glossy dark hue, lends character to this space. Matching the cool tone of the pewter-colored shutters and window casing, the pink hues are reminiscent of a classic Victorian salon. The cool blue is close enough to black to read as a neutral, which keeps the color scheme from being overwhelming.

Think beyond paint! Here, the Hornbeam wallpaper is juxtaposed in two different colorways. The pink variation below is separated by a chair rail, which puts a decorative twist on the traditional botanical-themed wall covering. The black fireplace surround and matching floors provide some gravitas to the light-hearted theme of the room, while navy accents in the upholstery and teapot round out the palette.