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Gorgeous and Grown-Up Ways to Use Millennial Pink

By: Amanda Lecky
October 05, 2017

Whether you call it Millennial Pink, blush, or just (pale) pink, this shade is a current design darling for good reason: It’s as versatile as a neutral, feels fresh and modern, and flatters all skin tones—plus, it’s just plain pretty. Here are 10 tips for using this this winning shade in any room.

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Don’t Go Too “Girly”

How can you use pale pink in a grown-up living space without turning it into a scene from Barbie’s Dream House? Easy: Pair the soft shade with furnishings that have a clubby silhouette, like the Chesterfield-style sofa in this room by Coddington Design.

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Photo: Kristie Hill, Colourcube Interiors; Photo by Gathering Light

Do the Unexpected

In a home located directly opposite the stunning white sand beaches of the western Australian coastline, designer Kristie Hill took a slightly surprising design approach. “Instead of the typical range of blues, we used a warmer pink palette, with pink bedding and accessories in the master bedroom. It helps counteract the dominant timber cladding behind the bed, for a look that is neither feminine nor masculine,” she says. Tip from the designer: “Don’t use too much of the same hue of pink. Change it up a little, Blush pink works beautifully with mustard yellow and emerald green, too.”

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Photo: Jackson Design and Remodeling. From: Jackson Design and Remodeling.

Have a Light Touch

No need to paint even a single wall Millennial Pink. If you’re worried about living with Millennial Pink long term, limit the color to accessories or elements that are fairly easy to replace if you tire of the color. For example, in this kitchen by Jackson Design and Remodeling, pink shades inside the geometric pendant fixtures add just a hint of the hue overhead—and cast a flattering rosy glow around the room, as well.

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Photo: Simone Haag in Collaboration with Nathan + Jac; Photo by Eve Wilson

Use It as a New Neutral

When you think of a “neutral” wall color, shades like beige, taupe, or gray may come to mind. But pale pink is a surprisingly versatile, livable “new neutral.” On the walls of this living space that the stylists at Nathan + Jac say was inspired by an “unconventional, carefree approach” to design, blush pink is the perfect foundation shade to layer with white, cream, and dove gray. Tip: To get that chalky Scandinavian look on your walls, pick a flat paint formulation.

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