Incorporating pink into your interior schemes is one of the best ways to create a warm, cozy, and laid-back feel. However, the success of this hue all comes down to mastering the rest of a room's colors and being aware of the colors to avoid pairing with pink.
Paired with the wrong hues, pink can quickly go from stylish to jarring. Designers and color experts agree that it's all about paying attention to the undertones of a room's secondary colors and avoiding those with competing saturation levels for a balanced scheme.
Here, we've rounded up the color combinations to avoid when decorating a pink room, as explained by interior designers. Read on to ensure you make the most of your pink room ideas and crucially, avoid making any costly decorating mistakes.
Colors to avoid pairing with pink
'When understanding what colors go with pink, it's important to consider the overall aesthetic and the mood you want to create,' says Ashley McCollum, color expert at paint brand Glidden. 'While personal preferences may vary, you generally want to avoid pairing an intense pink with another hue of the same intensity.'
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules on what colors you can use in your home – it's entirely up to you, but these four shades highlighted by experts require a little more thought and careful planning.
1. Yellow
'Pink and yellow are two colors that don’t have that much in common with one another and can look garish if not paired carefully,' says Helen Shaw, Director of Color Marketing at Benjamin Moore. 'To avoid this, it is important to choose the right shades of each.'
If you do want to incorporate yellow and pink in your room color ideas, take inspiration from this living room designed by Alexandra Gater. The pink walls are a deep rose color while the sofa is a muted, mustard shade of yellow, avoiding an overly saturated look and reflecting a sophisticated take on these two bold hues.
Alternatively, you could also turn to pastel room ideas with pink and yellow. 'Opting for pastel tones evokes a light, playful, and airy feel,' suggests Helen. 'This color scheme works particularly well in smaller spaces to add instant character and open up the room.'
2. Orange
Similarly, pink with orange is another color combination for rooms to create with caution. 'Very saturated colors can clash with the soft nature of pink, creating a jarring effect,' explains designer Eugenia Triandos, Principal Designer at Hibou Design & Co.
When it comes to paint ideas, it's key to avoid pairing bright pinks with similarly bright oranges. Tash Bradley, Director of Interior Design at Lick and color psychologist, explains the risk of pairing competing saturated tones: 'Stronger, coral hues such as Lick's Pink 12 are much more stimulating and therefore shouldn't be paired with colors of similar intensity, such as Lick's Orange 02, as this would create a scheme that is too overwhelming to live in day to day.'
Instead, incorporate more muted, burnt shades of orange when decorating with pink. This will ensure a liveable scheme that avoids competing hues, much like this living space designed by Matthew Williamson.
3. Black
Decorating with black is one of the trickiest colors to get right in interiors. It can soon overwhelm a space due to its incredibly dark tones, and that's no less true when it's paired with pink.
'The high contrast is visually jarring and difficult to balance with intermediary tones,' says interior designer Juliette Byrne when discussing black and pink.
But that's not to say black and pink can't work well together. For the kitchen ideas in this space, a nuanced shade of black is used across the kitchen cabinet ideas, and a muted, earthy pink is used on the walls. These hues minimize the harsh contrast that can often be present with black and pink.
Reach for paint colors such as Farrow & Ball's Railings as your black and Sulking Room Pink as a grown-up take on pink. Used together, you can create a much more flattering and liveable take on this brave color combination.
4. Neutrals with the wrong undertone
Lastly, it's equally important to pay attention to the undertones when decorating with neutrals and pink.
'When incorporating pink into a decor scheme it's important to consider the adjacent colors,' says designer Eugenia Triandos. 'The worst color combination is pairing pink or neutrals with pink undertones with yellows or yellow beiges. We usually opt for more muted pinks and often use neutrals with pink undertones.'
This means you should reach for neutrals with pink undertones, such as off-whites or light grays while avoiding those with yellow undertones such as warm-toned beiges and cream colors. This will ensure a cohesive look that feels balanced due to matching undertones.
By avoiding these specific color pairings and accent colors when decorating with pink, you'll ensure a stylish look that avoids competing or imbalanced hues. Whether you're drawn to muted pale pinks or bright and bold shades of pink, this color can be incredibly effective with the right pairings.
For more decorating inspiration, we round-up the best pink paints in our dedicated feature.
