How to Use Pink in Your Home: Expert Advice from an Interior Designer
Pink can be surprisingly difficult to get right in an interior. Too cool and it can feel sugary; too warm and it can become peachy. But choose the right muted shade, and pink can work almost like a neutral.
We spoke to interior designer Claire at Enta Design Studio about creating a sophisticated pink room, using a recent west-facing living room scheme centred around Mochi by Little Greene as the perfect example.
Rather than relying on pink alone, Claire’s approach was to build a layered palette around it, bringing together complementary tones, natural greens, darker woods and contrasting textures to create a room that feels warm and characterful rather than overtly feminine.
For Claire, however, choosing a colour palette starts with more than the room itself.
“I always start with the person before I start with the palette. We looked at the colours the client naturally gravitates towards, including the colours she wears and the tones she already loves.”
In this case, that meant taking the softness the client was naturally drawn to and translating it into the interior in a more subtle way. As Claire explains, “Sometimes we create a space that feels like someone without them even realising it.”
Start with what’s already there
One of the starting points for the scheme was a beautiful original 1930s tiled fireplace surround.
Rather than treating an existing feature like this as something a new colour scheme needs to work around, Claire used it to inform the palette. The tiles have unusual muted, rosy tones, and Mochi by Little Greene was chosen to complement them, picking up those soft, earthy pinks without trying to match them exactly.
It’s a lovely example of how the right paint colour can connect old and new. Instead of the original fireplace feeling separate from the newly designed room, the surrounding palette makes it feel completely intentional.
Mochi itself sits somewhere between dusty pink, plaster and a warm neutral. It has enough pigment to give a room personality, but it’s muted enough to behave almost like a neutral.
Consider how pink changes with the light
Light can transform any paint colour, but this is particularly noticeable with nuanced shades like Mochi.
As Claire explains:
“Light is such an important part of how we experience colour. I wanted the pink to respond to the room rather than fight against it. In the afternoon, the warmer west-facing light brings out the softness in Mochi and makes the room feel almost as though it is changing with the day.”
As the light becomes lower and warmer towards autumn, its earthier undertones become more apparent. Suddenly, the same pink feels richer and more cocooning, sitting beautifully alongside burgundy, dark timber and deeper seasonal shades.
It’s what makes a muted pink like Mochi so versatile: soft in summer, warm in autumn.
Don’t be afraid to layer pink with deeper tones
Designing a pink room doesn’t mean finding one shade and repeating it everywhere.
For the bespoke bookcases in this scheme, Claire contrasted Mochi with Nether Red by Little Greene on the backs of the open shelving.
“I didn't want every element to sit at the same level of intensity. When everything is the same softness, a room can lose its depth. By introducing deeper versions and hues of the tone already present, we create little moments of contrast and allow the softer pieces to breathe.”
It’s what makes the palette, in Claire’s words, feel “considered rather than simply ‘pink’.”
This kind of tonal layering is an effective way to use pink in a more sophisticated way. Rather than introducing lots of unrelated colours, take the existing palette deeper in selected areas.
Use green to balance the warmth
With pinks, reds and burgundies creating warmth, green provides a natural counterpoint. But, as Claire explains, it doesn’t necessarily need to become another dominant colour within the scheme:
“Green was never intended to become another feature colour. It was there to connect the room to the outside world and to bring in another layer of the colours the client already responded to. I like using colour almost as a thread through a room — it can appear in a plant, a fabric, a piece of artwork or a small object, so that nothing feels too deliberately matched.”
Flowers and foliage are an especially easy way to create this kind of layering.
In this scheme, Best & Bloom artificial flowers and foliage introduce muted eucalyptus greens and softer botanical tones amongst the pink, while neutral flowers add another layer of texture without competing with the palette.
Contrast softness with weight and texture
Colour is only one part of creating a layered interior.
Against the softness of Mochi, upholstered furniture and florals, Claire introduced a substantial vintage solid-wood Art Deco/ interwar coffee table. The contrast is deliberate.
“For me, contrast is just as important as colour. The softer pinks and upholstery needed something grounded against them, which is where the darker timber came in. It gives the eye somewhere to rest and stops the scheme becoming overly sweet.”
That balance between softness and something more substantial, Claire explains, is what makes the room feel “grown-up and personal.”
Smooth against textured. Delicate against substantial. Pale against dark. Old against new. Flowers and foliage against heavy timber.
And ultimately, that sense of balance comes back to Claire’s approach to human-centred design. Rather than imposing a particular aesthetic on a client, she looks at the colours, textures and objects they already respond to and translates those into their surroundings.
“The finished room should feel like an extension of them, rather than a picture they want simply recreated from somewhere else.”
And perhaps that’s the secret to decorating successfully with pink. Don’t think of it as a theme; think of it as one layer of the room.
With deeper complementary shades, natural greens, varied textures and darker materials around it, a muted pink like Little Greene Mochi can become a remarkably sophisticated neutral — and one that changes beautifully with both the light and the seasons.
How to Decorate with Pink: 7 Interior Designer Tips
So, how do you decorate with pink without making a room feel overly sugary or sweet? Drawing on Claire at Enta Design Studio’s approach to this scheme, the key is to treat pink as one layer of a wider interior palette, rather than as a theme.
- Choose a muted pink that can behave like a neutral. Soft, earthy shades such as Little Greene Mochi are easier to layer with other colours and materials than brighter or sweeter pinks.
- Consider the direction and quality of natural light. Paint colours change throughout the day. In a west-facing room, warmer afternoon light can bring out the softness and warmth in a muted pink.
- Take inspiration from existing features. Original fireplaces, tiles, flooring or architectural details can help inform your colour palette rather than becoming elements you have to design around.
- Layer different depths of the same colour family. Pairing a soft pink with deeper reds, burgundies or earthy tones — as Claire did with Little Greene Nether Red — creates contrast and prevents a pink scheme from feeling flat.
- Introduce green as a natural counterpoint to pink. Green doesn’t need to become another feature colour. Plants, artwork, accessories and artificial flowers and foliage can weave smaller botanical accents throughout a room and balance warmer pink tones.
- Mix soft colours with heavier materials. Dark wood, antique furniture and substantial pieces can ground softer pink paint, upholstery and florals, creating a room that feels more layered and grown-up.
- Don’t try to make everything match. The most successful schemes combine colours, textures and materials that complement one another without feeling overly coordinated. As Claire’s approach demonstrates, the goal is a room that feels personal and collected rather than prescribed.
The key takeaway? Decorating with pink doesn’t mean creating a pink room. Choose a nuanced shade, balance its warmth with greens and deeper tones, introduce contrast through texture and darker materials, and let flowers, foliage and decorative accents connect the palette throughout the space.
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About Enta Design Studio
Enta Design Studio creates considered residential and commercial interiors that balance functionality, atmosphere and individuality. Claire offers both in-person and virtual interior design services, from single rooms to larger spaces.
https://www.entadesignstudio.co.uk
About Best & Bloom
Best & Bloom creates luxury artificial flowers designed with interiors in mind. Shop ready-to-purchase arrangements or use our bespoke service for artificial florals tailored to your home or commercial space.