40 pink paint ideas from the House & Garden archive
The cultural history of pink has seen the colour morph both in terms of its gender associations and socio-political alignments. In The Secret Lives of Colour, Kassia St Clair describes how ‘the strict girl-pink boy-blue divide only dates from the mid-twentieth century’. Blue – the traditional colour in which the Virgin Mary is depicted – was seen as the more feminine, delicate colour. Whereas pink, basically a toned-down red, was by association the colour of strength, masculinity and warfare.
Over the 20th century pink enjoyed a renaissance, particularly in the shade described as ‘shocking pink’, which became ‘the colour of choice for ... women who wanted to be both seen and heard’. Fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli was immediately enchanted with the colour, using a shade for the packaging for her first perfume and deploying it in many of her subsequent clothing designs. Marilyn Monroe later immortalised shocking pink with the dress that she wore to sing ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. And, of course, the mid-2010s saw the rise of the now-ubiquitous ‘millennial pink’, a shade which achieves a happy medium, being both bright and muted, light and dark. Rose gold, a shinier cousin to millennial pink, also became another of the millennial generation's favourite colours, manifesting on everything from iPhones to bathroom hardware.
Soft, nude-toned pinks in interiors are having a particular moment these days; Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ is a perennial favourite, much loved for its ability to provide a flattering backdrop. Edward Bulmer Natural Paints’ ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ is a similarly gentle hue, along with Bulmer’s ‘Jonquil’ and ‘Nicaragua’, as well as ‘Temple’ by Papers and Paints. All have warming tones of yellow and brown mixed in. Cooler, more candy-hued pinks also have their place (we love Farrow & Ball’s ‘Calamine’), and there’s a special place in our heart for people who are willing to go full tilt with a hot pink. In the right room, it can be spectacular.
Helen Cathcart1/39In the kitchen of this warm and welcoming family house on Britain’s South Coast, Isabella Worsley used a rhubarb-pink paint to pick out the doors to the pantry, whose walnut shelves and worktop are matched to antique brass stud details.
Dean Hearne2/39Botanical artist and set designer Tattie Isles painted her Dorset bedroom in Edward Bulmer’s pale ‘Jonquil’, creating a harmonious backdrop for a £40 suzani from Ebay hung behind the headboard, and a throw from Projektityyny.
Dean Hearne3/39Downstairs in Tattie’s cottage, the ceilings have been painted in a heartier pink, offset by Edward Bulmer’s ‘Drab Green’.
Simon Brown4/39In the course of breathing new life into this unique and expansive Georgian house near London, Salvesen Graham chose a flattering off-pink for the walls of the drawing room, subtle enough not to draw attention from the focal point of the room – its art and needlepoint ottoman – but more interesting than white.
Photos: Owen Gale, Styling: Rachel Moreve5/39Upstairs in Polly Ashman's West London house, the walls of the open plan main bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and bathroom are all painted in ‘Clover’ by Edward Bulmer, making for a light, neutral space.
Paul Massey6/39It’s a folly really; very Cocteau,’ says Victoria Stainow of this space designed by Jean Cocteau in the mid 20th century. The vaulted grotto has pink stucco walls covered in tessellating pebble mosaics, and is furnished with rattan furniture was sourced by Nicolas Wamin in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
Paul Massey7/39Plain English units painted in ‘Mash’ and an island in ‘Sauce’, with patterned Balineum tiles behind the cooker, create a modern country-house feel in this kitchen designed by Rita Konig.
Paul Massey8/39Sarah and Renshaw Hiscox's house in the Cotswolds features walls in a soft Sanderson pink. It's complemented by an ottoman covered in a Hunt & Hope tiger-stripe tapestry and an armchair in Manuel Canovas’ ‘Rita’ jacquard in rose.
9/39When it came to painting the dining room of Colour consultant Fiona de Lys' magical north London cottage, she tapped into memories of childhood summers with her mother’s Italian family in Sardinia and Liguria: ‘I wanted to embrace the heat of the landscape – those beautiful villa façades, all terracotta and pinky orange.’
Elsa Young10/39In the bathroom of this colourful Cape Town house belonging to Gregory Mellor, artists Tess and Di Metcalf painted the Moroccan-style wall motifs against a pale pink background. The space feels vibrant, light and airy.
Michael Sinclair11/39The colour on the walls and cabinetry in the kitchen of this Cotswold house designed by Catherine Chichester is a mix of four shades from paint specialists Relics of Witney, which collaborated with Catherine on the grey used for the door and window frame. It has a feminine air thanks to the preponderance of pink. A Rosi de Ruig lampshade echoes the veined worktop from Middlesex Marble.
Paul Massey12/39Modernising without losing character is no mean feat, but Carlos Garcia has approached the decoration of this early 18th-century house and its Tudor elements with great sensitivity, marrying period details with colour, pattern and contemporary touches. A charming guest bathroom is painted in a welcoming pink hue, ‘Nicaragua’ by Edward Bulmer.
Owen Gale13/39The textile designer Molly Mahon, known for her brightly patterned hand-block-printed fabrics, has created a welcoming family home in her Sussex cottage. The living room is a lovely pink colour, picking up on the colourful accents and textiles dispersed throughout the room. Molly painted the fireplace in a style reminiscent of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant's nearby house, Charleston.
Owen Gale14/39The pantry in Molly’s living area is buttressed by a bright green cabinet and pink limewashed walls, perfectly balancing the colourful crockery on display.
Owen Gale15/39The bathroom in Molly’s house features a door painted in bright pink, which adds quite the pop of colour to the room.
James McDonald16/39In the basement billiards room of this glorious riverside house in Hammersmith, the raspberry pink walls were painted by Molly van Amerongen in a breathable paint, which was necessary due to the lath and plaster construction of the walls.
Owen Gale17/39Painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’, the light pink living room in this Victorian house in London serves as the perfect backdrop to the bolder tones used throughout the space.
Rachel Whiting18/39The artist owners of this London house called on interior designer Beata Heuman to create a family home full of fun, distinctive design and strong colours. The drawing room is a comfortable space for watching television in the evening and features warm pink walls (in Dulux's ‘90RR 52214’), the perfect backdrop for the Walton Ford prints.
Owen Gale19/39After decades trying fruitlessly to put down domestic roots in sub-lets and shorthold tenancies, Olivia Laing finally found the chance to create the home of her childhood dreams in a Georgian house in rural Suffolk. Here, one can see Ian and Olivia's joint collection of pottery in the china cupboard, whose shelves are painted a delightful bubblegum pink colour.
Mark Fox20/39Cobbie Yates transformed the bathroom in his flat into a wetroom, using the bathrooms of boutique hotels they had visited as inspiration. The shade for the micro-cement was determined from the Acne Studios’ signature pink colour.
Matt Clayton21/39An eclectic collection of prints and photographs adds to the homely feel of this multi-toned pink room in the London flat of interior designer Cath Beckett, co-founder of Yellow London.
Christopher Horwood22/39The delightfully pink exterior of this cottage on the Bradford Estate was re-rendered using limewash, with new barge boards added to the roof and a new porch for the hallway entrance to the left.
23/39Talented designer Casey Kenyon has crafted a very pink abode of his own in Brooklyn, New York. In the dusty-pink living room, an Apparatus urn atop a Deco pedestal holds a corner of the living room.
Paul Massey24/39In this delightfully pale pink living room in a London house designed by Virginia Howard, a marble fireplace from Jamb is flanked by two Beaumont & Fletcher sofas covered in Claremont’s wool/silk ‘Toile Chenonceau’; the Acres Farm club fender is in Jane Shelton’s ‘Sienna Red’ from Simon Playle.
Sophia Spring25/39In the bathroom of her London house, interior designer Anna Haines has painted the walls in Edward Bulmer Natural Paints' ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’.
Simon Brown26/39While we are used to seeing ‘Setting Plaster’ in kitchens when used on the walls, this kitchen by Samantha Todhunter is the first time we've seen it used on kitchen cabinets. A chequerboard floor in ‘Tora Blue’ and ‘Mallory’ limestone tiles from Artisans of Devizes is softened by the light pink, which is on a wall of panelled cupboards designed by Samantha, inspired by old dressers.
Kara Rosenlund27/39While soft, paler pinks may be having a particular moment these days, a vibrant hot pink makes a statement like no other. On the wood-clad walls of her guest cottage in Brisbane, designer Anna Spiro has used Taubmans ‘Pink Flambe’.
Davide Lovatti28/39In Tara Craig's small and beautiful London flat, the kitchen is painted in a bespoke shade of apricot, a striking contrast against the aquatic blue walls in ‘Nabis’ by Adam Bray for Papers and Paints.
Paul Massey29/39The bathroom in this London house by Joanna Plant has a Carrara marble counter and floor, softened by walls in ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint and a blind and half curtains in ivory linen from Volga. The colour 'makes you look about 12 years old,’ Joanna enthuses. The gently filtered light, from soft Roman blinds and pleated half curtains in gauzy Volga Linen, also helps.
Maree Homer30/39In the open plan living area of this Sydney cottage, interior designer Lisa Burdus chose Dulux’s ‘Morocco’ paint for the walls, while an island painted in Dulux’s ‘Green Gables’ offers a striking contrast.
Owen Gale31/39Interior designer Angelica Squire has used ‘Setting Plaster’ to cover the walls of her light-flooded hallway, kitchen and dining area. Here she has used 'Preference Red' on the trim as a contrast to the softness of the classic shade.
Simon Brown32/39Designer Kerri Lipsitz has created a serene sanctuary in her London house, painting the walls of her bedroom in Farrow & Ball's ‘Smoked Trout’. The simple curtains are in Romo's ‘Alana’ fabric in alabaster.
James McDonald33/39Having bought the house next door to her west London townhouse, chef Lindsay Elder called in interior designer Kate Guinness to gently layer styles and eras, filling the space with colour and pattern.The ground floor sitting room is painted in Papers and Paints' ‘Empire Red’.
Sharyn Cairns34/39The sitting room in Ben Pentreath's Dorset parsonage has achieved practically iconic status with its walls in ‘Parsonage Pink’, a bespoke shade by Papers & Paints that was then made available to buy.
Michael Sinclair35/39Soft, tonal pinks run throughout interior designer Thea Speke's country house, including walls in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s ‘Jonquil’, which form the backdrop in the sitting room.
Paul Massey36/39Slightly cooler and more candy-pink than ‘Setting Plaster’, Farrow & Ball's ‘Calamine’ is a pretty hue, used here on a child's bed in conjunction with ‘Pale Egyptian Blue’ by Papers & Paints in this stylish Chelsea townhouse.
Rachel Whiting37/39A room from the February 2017 issue of House & Garden's cover story. The artist owners of this London house called on interior designer Beata Heuman to create a family home full of fun, distinctive design and strong colours.
Simon Brown38/39'We loved the cool, pared-down style of a house belonging to a Swedish art collector, which we had seen in a magazine,' say the owners of this west London terrace home. Enter Hugh Leslie whose unmistakable style gradually evolved the house into a smart family home. At the front of the house on the first floor is the pretty, generously proportioned main bedroom. Its walls are lined with the same buff-pink linen ('Prelle Toile Barbare' fabric by Alton Brooke) as the pelmets and the curtains, which adds an extra touch of glamour to the room. Behind it is the en-suite bathroom, with simple panelling, hand-built units and a walk-in shower lined in teak, which feels a bit like entering a first-class compartment on a vintage train.
Paul Massey39/39The pink sitting area in Rita Konig's London flat is a masterclass in layering, with textiles in different patterns and textures covering the sofas and cushions; Etro's red cotton velvet 'Palinuro' from Pierre Frey is used on one sofa and China Seas' 'Ziggurat' from Tissus d'Hélène on the other. The open fireplace surrounded by a chimneypiece found at Petworth Antique Centre, and walls covered with a mix of framed prints, photographs, drawings and paintings, add to the relaxed look.
