Working with Pink

The psychological benefits of having a little pink around the house are well documented and include stimulating creativity to boosting ones confidence but keeping it grown up and not candy shop sweet is probably your main objective.

It’s often seen as a frivolous colour so keep it under control by using small amounts or try some irony and use it in areas that would normally command a serious colour. It works surprisingly well in an office space as it contrasts well with industrial looking hard edged furniture.

Contrasting its “artificialness” with a natural material such as a timber floor will keep it from running wild. By the same token, the introduction of a cobalt blue tint (a refreshing reminder of a blue summer sky)  may not be your natural choice but the combination could surprise you.

Finally, there is a plethora of furniture and accessories ready to slot right into this palette in the new Look Book from Heals but don’t blame me if you blow the budget….

 

Choosing a Palette the Natural Way

My favourite method of creating a colour palette is to copy nature. Take a photo of something you like and extract three colours. I find a light colour for walls, a medium tone to use on furniture or curtains and a darker colour as an accent works well. If you feel you need more variation you can simply lighten or darken any of your chosen three colours by adding a touch of black or white. It really is that easy.

One thing to consider though is what time of day do you tend to use the room? Warm colours (reds, oranges and yellows) appear darker in reduced light while blues and greens tend to look lighter.