It’s Spring which means that colour is starting to appear everywhere. In the decor stores and magazines there’s lots of inspiration to decorate with pastel colours.
It’s only natural at this time of year when the first flowers are blooming and colour starts coming back into our lives after a cold grey winter. Colour has a huge influence on our daily lives. I predict more colour in 2019 colour trends with some bold influences alongside softer colours such as earthy pinks and would you believe it beige! As I dig deeper into what’s in store this year I think we’ll see more pastel colours appear as a way of introducing colour into our homes alongside these more gentle decor styles.
Decorating with pastels can bring an fresh, elegant and calming feel into an interior design scheme. However, whenever colour is mentioned it can put people into a state of panic. It’s a bit like marmite you can either love it or hate it.
Even worse you love it but you’re scared to decorate with pastels and make the leap to bring colour into your home. How can you work with these colours without making your home look like a toddler’s princess bedroom? With this in mind here’s 5 easy ways to decorate with pastel colours to bring a fresh and sophisticated look into your home.
1. Make a Statement
Choosing one elegant statement piece can really make an impact. Soft pinks, sage greens, and dusky blues are great colours for upholstery and look beautiful teamed with natural woods and off whites.
Image: DFS Featuring Grand sofa in blush velvet
In this room brings together an updated look of country home style with a soft blue sofa off whites, pale yellows and gold accents in the lighting and furniture.
Image: Loaf featuring the Benji Bed
Blue is a lovely calming colour to add to a bedroom and teaming it with this luxurious upholstered bedstead creates an oasis for sleep.
Image: Darlings of Chelsea featuring the Harrow Midi Sofa
As well as upholstery painted furniture is an easy way to add pastels into a room. The unexpected minty colour of these timeless and classic wishbone chairs makes a real statement in this room
2. Sophisticated neutrals for grown up glamour
Bringing contemporary design into play is a way to bring playful colour into your home. Luxury furniture and quality finishes ensure an air of sophisticated glamour. A sure way to avoid the look of sugar sweet childish rooms when you decorate with pastels. These velvet Gubi beetle chairs have been on my wishlist for a while now. Their clean lines and beautiful design make them a sophisticated choice for a grown up design scheme.
Image: Chaplins furniture featuring the Gubi Beetle Dining Chair
Grown up design schemes which use luxurious materials such as marble bring an air of sophistication. The marble wall of this kitchen is a soft pink which continues across the kitchen.
The soft pink in this bedroom are complemented by lilacs and pale yellows in the walls and geometric rug. The feel is playful but still very grown- up.
3. Pastel walls
When you decorate with pastels on walls you’re bringing colour into a space on a large scale. Choose your paint carefully and test in different areas of your room. Check my advice on how to choose paint colours in the blog in this blog on ‘How to decorate with white’.
Break up the colour with furniture and textiles in contrasting shades of colour. It can be neutral or bright depending how you bold you like your decor and don’t forget to add pattern too. Curtains are another large scale area where you can add pastels and experiment with colours and pattern.
Image: Burbridge featuring Langton kitchen in bespoke painted Pantone Placid Blue
Traditional country home styles use this formula perfectly to create elegant, cosy rooms. This attic bedroom uses a lovely calming Green Blue by Farrow and Ball which is broken up with areas of white and the floral pattern on the curtains.
Image: Farrow and Ball featuring a bedroom painted in Green Blue
Certain pastel colour combinations work really well together so don't be afraid to mix it up a bit. Dusty blues and soft yellows or blush pinks with minty greens make a great combination. The wallpaper here has a softly textured effect which helps to break up and blend the colour next to the light green sofa.
Image: Concrete Blush wallpaper by woodchip and Magnolia
4. Mix and match
Once you get used to using pastels you’ll love how they can brighten up a room. Using the same tone of colour across different shades adds real variety and interest to a room. It also makes it easier to blend in pattern - as long as you stick to the same tones - as seen in the room below.
I love these painted stairs. Simple to achieve and a lovely way to add a quirky hit of colour into your home. A fun addition to a Icoastal or shabby chic cottage home.
5. Decorate with pastel accessories
This is a tip that I recommend in all of my colour trend blogs. If you’re not brave enough to go the whole way and get the paints and wallpapers out, the best way to dip into a trend is with accessories. This is also the easiest way to see colour trends as they appear.
Decor stores and brands know that we won’t change things like beds and sofas every year. However they may easily persuade us to update our cushions, throws or dinnerware more often to keep up with the latest trends. With this in mind here is my pick of home accessories to bring pastels into your home.
Clockwise from top right
Cutipol Goa Cutlery Set - Amara Living Pink Gold - £340
Baobab Collection - Vidra Scented Candle - Amara Living - Price TBC
Grey and Orange throw from Homesense - £14.99
Set of Pastel Vases from Next - price TBC
Adeline Square Cushion, Cream - Soho Home - £145
Aalto Pink Glass & Raffia Table Lamp - Oliver Bonas - £75
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