26 Pastel Paint Shades We Love and How You Can Use Them

Pretty like a Robin's egg and airy like a spa, pastel paint can brighten even the darkest spaces in a home. If you're ready to embrace our favorite muted hues — pinks, purples, blues, greens and yellows — you've come to the right place. Ahead, you'll find the best pastel paint ideas around — straight from the pages of HGTV Magazine. (Wall color: Niebla Azul by Sherwin-Williams)

“I ran with my clients’ ‘more is more’ attitude and painted their laundry room walls and cabinets bubblegum pink. It makes washing and folding a little more fun," says designer Max Humphrey. "Now they say they really look forward to laundry day!” (Sweet Taffy, Benjamin Moore)

“Soft lilac stands out against the cream siding of this house without being too strong — just what the homeowner wanted. I originally went a shade lighter, but I chose this one knowing the door is in the sun a lot of the time," says Kelli Webber of Buyers Desire Home Staging in Boston. "It’s fresh and new, yet it feels like it’s belonged all along.” (Wisteria, Sherwin-Williams)

“When my clients asked for a vintage-inspired kitchen, I immediately knew I’d go with this refreshing mint shade. It scared them a bit in the can, where colors always look more intense. Once it went up, though, it lightened the entire space and gave the classic Shaker cabinets a unique twist,” says designer Maureen Stevens. (Mint Condition, Sherwin-Williams)

“My laundry room has always been on the dark side because it has only one small window, and the old beige paint didn’t help. A fresh pale yellow really brightened the space,” says homeowner and designer Maria Killam. (Banana Cream, Sherwin-Williams)

“Some muted pinks come off as juvenile, but not this one. It looks super sophisticated on the cabinetry in this home office. You can spin the color any way you want — boho, glam — and it works every time,” says Gabriela Laboy of O'Hara Interiors. (Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball)

"We chose sky blue to complement the tub tile in this Jack and Jill bathroom for a brother and sister," says Scarlett James of The Mix Interiors. "It’s a cheerful shade that goes especially well with a yellow rubber ducky!" (Blue Ground, Farrow & Ball)

“I like my tiniest clients to have a say in their spaces, so purple walls and a teal headboard it was for this young girl’s room. Lilac is a great shade for a kid because it’s youthful now, but it’s sophisticated enough to grow with her,” says designer Laura Ellis Barnes. (Fairy Glen, Pratt & Lambert)

“A pass-through area leading to this home’s backyard is a space that could have easily been forgotten, but painting the walls infused it with character," says designer Kerry Vasquez. "This peachy pink makes the area feel bigger and brighter.” (Flamingo Feather, Behr)

Buttery paint, a pretty art print and a cool metal chair bring cheer to this bedroom's work-from-home spot. (Glad Yellow, Sherwin-Williams)

“Here’s a color that’s fun but still a neutral. It’s spa-like when paired with white accents, but you could easily dial it up by adding poppy coral accessories,” says designers Marika Meyer. (Iced Green, Benjamin Moore)

“This is a warm pink, like the kind you see in sunsets, which is why it works in lots of different spaces. Here it adds a bit of fun in a mostly white bathroom. I could also see it pepping up an entryway or a small den,” says designer Jennifer Barron. (Romance, Sherwin-Williams)

Soft green walls give this vintage-inspired bedroom a serene feel. Cool undertones in the paint offset the reddish hue of the stained wood floors. (Tea Light, Benjamin Moore)

“This laundry room gets no natural light, but it doesn’t feel that way because of the vibrant sky blue we painted the cabinets. Now it’s a cheerful spot to walk into, even if it involves doing a chore," says Raquel Skrobarczyk of Heather Scott Home & Design. (Bird’s Egg, Benjamin Moore)

“Lavender is such a fun color for a formal sitting room. This shade is eye-catching and works almost like a neutral because it has warm white undertones,” says designer Lauren Robbins. (Lavender Lipstick, Benjamin Moore)

“I wanted to highlight the character of my living room and find a color soft enough to get my boyfriend on board! This pink is warm and not too bright. Putting it on an accent wall brought all the elements in the space together," says homeowner and designer Danielle Roxanne Nagel of Dazey Den Design. (Pale Jasper, Dunn-Edwards)

“I love this aqua blue because it’s easy on the eyes and not overwhelmingly bright, which makes it a great color for the wall of shelves in this room," says homeowner Brianna Hall. "Still, it’s inviting and fun, and that’s important because I want my family to hang out in our screen-free zone!” (Morning Calm, Magnolia HOME by Joanna Gaines)

“My parents and my contractor were skeptical,” says homeowner Lauren Wiggins of this cabinet color, “but I wanted to reclaim pink — it’s not just girly and feminine!" To balance it out, she chose a graphic black-and-white pattern for the porcelain tile floor. (Pacific Grove Pink, Benjamin Moore)

Homeowner and designer Gretchen Black didn’t stop with soothing aqua on the walls — it’s on the ceiling and trim, too. “It envelops us and feels super cozy,” she says. (Copen Blue, Sherwin-Williams)

“I always say ‘Pick a color and commit,’ so I went for it in this bathroom in my house! The light purple is both calming and sophisticated," says homeowner and designer Mary Patton. "I paired it with blush window treatments, but it would also look great with dark purple or navy.” (Fancy Pansy, Valspar)

Creator Nedra Davis chose pretty pink paint for the ceiling of her hotel-inspired main bedroom. It gives the whole space a rosy glow. (Meet Cute, Clare)

Designer Kiera Kushlan created this walnut-topped island with the prettiest purple-blue legs to be the centerpiece of her clients' new kitchen. Leather and wood barstools bring in more warm tones. (Harlequin Blue, Benjamin Moore)

For this room in Larchmont, New York, homeowner Raeleen Yoon chose icy violet paint for the walls. “My goal was a space that felt feminine but also edgy and cool,” she says. (African Violet, Benjamin Moore)

“This baby pink reminds me of the clouds you see at sunset. I paired it with light teals and white for a soft, pretty look in this little girl’s room, but it would be really striking next to navy or dark gray,” says Kirsten Krason of House of Jade Interiors. (Angelic, Sherwin-Williams)

“This celery shade is invigorating but doesn’t take over the room. A lot of times people almost don’t realize it’s green,” says homeowner Marni Elyse Katz. (Pale Vista, Benjamin Moore)