Pale Pink

By Sarah Van Arsdale

Here's some good news from the world of color: pink isn't just for frilly dresses for little girls. How many grown women, looking back on their childhoods, shudder to remember having pink forced upon them, along with dirndl skirts and Barbie dolls?

Well, fear no more: pale pink has taken its place in interiors with a subtle, more mature tone, softened from the cake-frosting pink of childhood.

In the photo below right, what catches your eye at first is probably the hot pink of the shutter. But don't be fooled into focusing on the obvious. Instead, examine the pink of the stucco wall in which that shutter hangs. This is the pink we're talking about here.

This pink makes a great accent in a room dominated by deeper tones. Imagine a dark green sofa flanked by lamps with pale-pink shades, or a dark Oriental carpet with just a few flecks of pink scattered among the deep blues.

As an accent, this pink implies a 1940s-style take on decorating, when chintz floral prints and lampshades with fringe were all the rage in comfy, overstuffed living rooms.

But think of this pink also for use as a wall color. In the photo at top, we see that the walls of this modern condo, blushed with pale pink, are softened considerably. You can use this pale shade to just barely warm up an off-white, making the whole room less cold.

This works especially well in a room that has some other feature that makes it seem cold, such as high ceilings, as in this room, or a big picture window looking onto a snowy scene.

Don't be afraid of pale pink. Used in moderation, and away from birthday cakes and Barbie dolls, it can't hurt you, but will give you just a hint of girlish color, like the faint blush that flushes your face just after you've been kissed.

Reprinted with permission from the Sheffield School of Interior Design