The pink living room is having a moment: gentle, nude-toned pinks are replacing pale greys or taupes as a neutral that is both comforting and flattering, while richer tones of coral and raspberry are proving perfect for adding cosiness and warmth to our living spaces. Whether you are keen to go full tilt with a pink living room scheme, or happier to dip you toe into the aesthetic by using pink as an accent colour, consider the below ideas to bring this highly versatile hue to life in your home.
Make pink a focal point
If you would love to introduce pink to your living room but would prefer to use it in moderation, try using it as a focal point, contrasting it with other colours. This sofa showcases our joyful linen stripe, Garden Gate in Strawberry Mousse; it is juxtaposed with curtains in a neat green print – Hopscotch in Frog – while an ottoman in a pretty lattice design, Maypole in Peony, pulls together both the pink and the green shades. Note the rug and walls in richer tones of raspberry, which help to ground the softer colours of the fabrics.
Embrace high fashion with pink wallpaper
What better way to create a pink living room scheme than with a stylish pink wallpaper? The number of walls you choose to paper is up to you, although papering the entire room will create the most impactful, enveloping effect. Scenic papers give perspective, so they are fantastic for making a room feel bigger, and this striking 1940s inspired design, Yanagi, is a beauty. It features gorgeous pastel hues that include a beautiful powder pink, which is picked out with matching pink paint for the lower portion of the wall. A tiled floor adds a modern edge to this retro scheme.
Contrast with shades of grey
Of the many colours that team beautifully with pink, grey is perhaps its ultimate partner of choice. Grey puts paid to a pink living room becoming too feminine or sugary while pink, in turn, ensures that a grey scheme is never drab or dull. A case in point is this living room, where dark grey furniture and woodwork provide a dramatic counterpoint to a sofa in our eco-friendly Verde cotton in Candy. The pretty powder pink hue adds an uplifting feel, while cushions edged with the same anthracite colour as the paintwork lend an elegant touch. Chic, incisive and decidedly modern.
Balance a purple and pink colour palette
Purple and pink are wonderful bedfellows and can be used to balance each other to achieve the right amount of depth and warmth: think amethyst juxtaposed with coral tones, or claret shades contrasted with blush pink. Our luxurious printed velvet, We Built This City, beautifully demonstrates this with its intricate pattern – inspired by a fragment of cloth that is more than a thousand years old – that sees cooler purples counterbalanced with vibrant coral and peach tones. The fabric sings against the backdrop of aubergine-hued walls and brings all-important cosiness to the space.
Add vibrancy with hot pink
While gentle, muted pinks are particularly having their moment in the spotlight, the beauty of hot pink shouldn’t be overlooked. Unlike its more muted counterparts, this vibrant shade is there to be noticed, bringing richness and elegance to a living room scheme. Use it in small doses, say, on a footstool or for eye-catching pink cushions, or go all-out by wrapping a room in this jewel-like hue. Pictured here is our Omega III velvet in Carnival, our first sustainable velvet made from 60 per cent recycled polyester. Perfect for a statement sofa.
Pair pink with one dominant accent colour
The beauty of pink is that it marries well with any number of colours, from blues to greens to earthy tones. Team a selection of pinks with a key accent colour, carefully choosing tones of pink that sit well with your chosen hue. For example, earthy tones such as chocolate, cinnamon, and saffron team nicely with slightly “muddy” pinks, as demonstrated with this inviting living room scheme. A sofa in a warm mustard hue – our Elba linen in Ochre – works beautifully with pink-hued linens from the same range, including Blush and Cayenne. A characterful colour palette that befits the informality of the scheme.
Add warm peach undertones
Your choice of pink will hugely affect how cosy your room scheme will feel: candy-hued pinks tend to have blue undertones that can create a slightly cooling effect, while peach and coral pinks feature touches of brown or yellow that help bring warmth to a scheme. This tweed style fabric, Freya in Cerise, has just the right amount of warmth to beautifully offset the armchair’s wooden frame, which in turn is complemented with more earthy tones in the form of a chunky sisal carpet. Walls in a rich coral pink paint colour complete this inviting scheme.
Layer pink and delicate silk for laid-back luxury
Pretty shades of blush pink lend themselves beautifully to luxurious fabrics such as silk where the gentle sheen of the fabric is wonderful for showcasing these delicate hues. In this sophisticated pink living room, floor-to-ceiling windows are elegantly framed with curtains in Selene in Rose Water, a silk and cotton fabric featuring an elegant relief pattern. The walls are the same shade of pink as the curtains and offer a lovely foil to an abstract painting and an occasional chair in a mushroom-hued velvet, Kari in Oyster.
Welcome darker shades for furniture
If you are looking for pink living room ideas that are not overly feminine, consider upholstering furniture in darker tones of the colour. Earthy pinks are fantastic alternatives to classic neutrals and will marry well with a spectrum of natural hues. This armchair is covered in our neat herringbone, Leckford in Roseberry – a timeless weave that suits both informal and more tailored schemes.
Mix vibrant pink with deep orange
For a colour palette that evokes sunnier climes, you cannot beat the combination of vibrant pink and deep orange. At once uplifting and energising, it brings a joyful feel to a living room scheme. If you are ready to be bold, try covering a sofa in hot pink velvet and adding velvet cushions in burnt orange hues; or for something a little less punchy, consider a fabric that cleverly showcases this beguiling colour combination. Our painterly Maypole print combines neutral tones with hot pink and dark orange for a fresh design that embodies laid-back living. Perfect for furniture or gorgeous as a smaller detail such as cushions or lampshades.
Keep pink tones subdued
If you love the idea of a pink living room but don’t want the effect to be too overpowering, opt for subdued pinks for larger pieces such as armchairs or a sofa, and introduce bolder colour with smaller soft furnishings like cushions. Here, armchairs upholstered in our Leckford herringbone weave in Ember are given a lift with cushions in Tango velvet in Tangerine. Note how the lampshade and accents in the rug pick up on this punchy hue, while terracotta walls add to the inviting feel.
Pick shades of plaster pink
Plaster pink is the colour du jour: on the walls, it is universally flattering – some interior designers swear that it makes the room’s occupants look infinitely more youthful – while as an accent colour, it goes with any number of hues. Here, seat cushions in a gentle plaster pink – Blush from our Elba linen collection – are teamed with our ready-made Elba linen scatter cushions showcasing a variety of inviting spice tones. A lovely soothing colour palette that invites relaxation.
Team a pink scheme with natural wood
One of our favourite pink living room ideas is to mix pink with timber. Natural wood helps to temper any sugariness in a pink scheme: think blush pink walls countered with pared-back Scandinavian pieces in pale timber, or a weathered wooden floor as a foil to sweet pink fabrics, such as the pretty linen upholstering this inviting armchair. The fabric is our charming Hopscotch design, inspired by a block print from the 1800s; it is nicely offset with a dark oak floor and grey panelled walls, both of which ensure that the scheme is smart, rather than saccharine.
FAQs
Is pink a good colour for a living room? In a word – yes. Long gone are the days when pink was relegated only to bedrooms. Consider what sort of light you have in the space, as this will dictate whether you wish to focus on cool or warm tones for your pink living room. A nude-toned blush pink can be brilliant for warming up a north-facing living room, while cooler, more delicate pinks look fantastic in a well-lit space.
What colours go with pink interior design? A highly versatile hue, pink has the advantage of marrying well with a huge variety of colours, from blues and greens to earthy tones, off-whites to greys and black. If you wish to create a sense of drama, mix blush pink with dark hues such as midnight blue or charcoal; for a lovely country colour scheme, consider combining fresh pinks with pretty greens or blues.
How should I use pink paint in a living room? Don’t be afraid of the idea of painting walls in the same pink hue: if it is selected carefully, your pink of choice can play the role of a neutral – think blush pink or pale terracotta – and provide a versatile foil to accessories. Don’t ignore the ceiling, either: this “fifth wall” can be painted the same colour as the walls to add to the sense of a nurturing, calming space. If you prefer the idea of a feature wall, choose the one that is the obvious focal point, or simply opt to enhance the chimney breast with a splash of pink paint. If the living room has a dado rail, you can opt to use pink on the lower half of the wall only – and here, you might decide to be braver with a more vibrant shade.