Why a pink kitchen is the new must-have for a stylish house
When it comes to kitchen colour inspiration, our archives are brimming with ideas from chalky whites to deep blues. And in the full swing of winter, we like to think about decoration ideas that bring a little warmth, making it the perfect opportunity to consider pink kitchens.
Once considered a mere ‘half-colour’ or just a diluted cousin of red, over centuries pink has come into its own as a hue of great significance. It was beloved of the Madames du Pompadour and du Barry, and a young Marie Antoinette, associated with affairs of the heart, and simultaneously derided as frivolous and celebrated in fashion and interiors, where designers have cleverly demonstrated pink’s versatility.
In fact, interior design icon Nicky Haslam said the most flattering colour of all is the pinky-brown shade of an Elastoplast and it seems quite a few people were on his wavelength. Softer pinks that lean towards beige have been particularly popular of late, and shades like the classic ‘Setting Plaster’ by Farrow & Ball, with its ability to adapt to all kinds of light, are demonstrating pink's potential as an alternative neutral. ‘Calamine’, another Farrow & Ball favourite with a grey-ish tint and the warmer, yellowy ‘Jonquil’ by Edward Bulmer are also popular variations on pink that infuse a kitchen with a sense of calm and comfort. On the hotter end of the spectrum, those wanting something a little more adventurous have opted for sugary pinks, fuchsias and bubble-gum hues that bring a playful vibrancy into the kitchen.
Here we dig into the House & Garden archive to show just how adaptable pink can be, how it co-exists with other colours more effortlessly than it perhaps is given credit for, and how the colour–whether light and gentle or bright and bold–can transform the heart of the home.













