The perfect pink paint color can be elusive, oui? Years back, I helped my mom choose a pink for the walls of her bedroom. Subtle & Sophisticated Pink Paint Colors For Interiors includes a few personal favorites, designer curated choices, and advice to get the right pink paint color for your space.
Subtle & Sophisticated Pink Paint Colors For Interiors!
Mama’s Pink Bedroom
Not the best photos since the Arizona sunlight was so intense, but here is the barely there pink we chose for mom’s bedroom: BEHR Cameo Stone.
It’s very sophisticated and because of the muddy undertones, it doesn’t read sugary sweet or baby nursery.
There are also aqua accents throughout the room for a soft and tranquil mood.
How to Choose the Right Pink
Pinks are surely one of the trickiest paint colors to get right, and you certainly shouldn’t expect to quickly run to the paint counter and make a decision.
In the Moda Operandi showroom below, founder Lauren Santo Domingo told Town & Country it can take 20 meetings to arrive at the precisely right shade!
But what if you aren’t working with an interior designer and don’t have a staff or access to color consultants for a dozen brainstorming sessions?
Here’s my preferred method for choosing the just right pink paint color for your space:
My Favorite Way to Choose Paint Color Samples
First, skim shelter magazines to find an example or examples of beautiful, sophisticated pinks that you can tear from the magazine.
Second, go shopping and keep your eyes peeled for a pink fabric or item that speaks to you. Get a swatch of the fabric or buy the objects if they can easily be returned (unless you want to keep them!).
Third, head to the paint department with your magazine tear sheets and pink objects to match paint swatch cards to them.
Fourth, buy sample pots in the colors you chose to try on your wall.
Why not just custom color match the fabric or object?
While you might be able to have your paint expert color match the pink magazine inspiration or object, I haven’t had the best experience with this method. I find it to be ultimately more convenient to choose an established color in the system and tweak its saturation as necessary later.
Sexy Salmon Pink Paint Color
If you are feeling woozy woozy after seeing that incredible custom pink in the MO showroom and the pink in the boldly eclectic kitchen by deVOL above, take a gander at this Notting Hill moment:
Shazam! While I didn’t discover the exact paint formula, it certainly looks as though it is in the family of this pretty lady:
Dusty Pink Paint Colors
FARROW & BALL Pink Ground 202
Of this sophisticated pink paint color, Farrow & Ball say: “This dusty pink started out as a delicate wallpaper background but was introduced to the Farrow & Ball paint palette by popular request. With its large dose of yellow pigment, Pink Ground creates the softest blush of color without feeling sugary.”
BENJAMIN MOORE Coastal Cottage 1164
When you are after a soft, shrimp-like, slightly salmon, European peachy pink, think about pastel oranges.
BENJAMIN MOORE Sugarcane 1185
Designer Favorite Pink Paint Colors
SHERWIN WILLIAMS White Dogwood
Phoebe Howard
If you also admire the interior design genius of Phoebe Howard, she kindly provides a paint palette within this lovely book:
FARROW & BALL Pink Ground
Of this sophisticated pink paint color, Farrow & Ball say: “This dusty pink started out as a delicate wallpaper background but was introduced to the Farrow & Ball paint palette by popular request. With its large dose of yellow pigment, Pink Ground creates the softest blush of color without feeling sugary.”
Brooke Giannetti
FARROW & BALL Middleton Pink
This shade of delicate pink “is fresh and uncomplicated, especially when contrasted with All White for a gently playful feel. Alternatively, try alongside Great White for a clean and urban finish.”-Farrow & Ball
Charlotte Reiss of Vivi Et Margot
FARROW & BALL Setting Plaster
Imperfect Interiors
Jeffrey Bilhuber
Would you, could you, paint yourself a pretty in pink canopy of a ceiling like designer Jeffrey Bilhuber?
Designer Shea McGee loves BENJAMIN MOORE Love & Happiness, and who can resist trying it just for its name alone?
Designer Sara Story likes Farrow & Ball Calamine 230 and told House Beautiful:
So let’s take a more expansive look at Farrow & Ball’s Calamine!
Chalky Warm Blush Pinks
Is it a chic and sophisticated pink paint you desire that feels less juvenile and not too sweet? Farrow & Ball say this color’s light touch of grey is “intense in smaller spaces, but feels much more delicate in large, well-lit rooms.”
BENJAMIN MOORE First Light
Here’s a very calm pink with brown undertones.
Tranquil Greyed Down Pinks
BENJAMIN MOORE Love & Happiness
Here’s a pink that is whispery and not too bright.
FARROW & BALL Peignoir
Is it grey? Pink? Romantic? Oui to all three!
BEHR Cameo Stone
This is the pale pink we chose for my mom’s bedroom walls. It’s a soft, greyed down, rosy pink which could easily work with lavender or light grey accents. We like a tone on tone feel, and this shade of blush pink is a bit lighter than the rosy pink bed linens.
Sophisticated Soft Pink Inspiration
This gorgeous pale pink from Sherwin-Williams (Intimate White) reminds me of that unforgettable bedroom in Suzanne Kasler’s home!
Easiest way to see if a paint color will work? Order samples with Samplize and have them delivered straight to your door.
Which of these paint colors calls to you? Have an old door, dresser, or accent table you could transform with pink? How about a ceiling?
Unsure of the exact shade on the ceiling above, but here’s a pretty suggestion:
Find the best earthy pink paint colors HERE.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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Oh my! Pink in all it’s glory…..except for the sugary, little girl color. Hee hee! I DO love pink and have wanted to do a room in it for some time. I have a guest room where pink is used in the bedding and accessories. It has a nice stand-out feature of a cute little cabinet (made by my hubby) that I painted in my own custom mix of pink chalk paint, somewhere in the neighborhood of SW White Dogwood or Behr Cameo Stone.
Your ideas for choosing pink are spot on. People often think they want pink (even, or maybe especially for a young girl’s room) and pick a pink that’s far too saturated. They end up with cotton candy and hate it.
I love seeing a guy wearing a pink shirt…not an ‘in your face pink’….but one that’s more subtle and refined. And most people don’t know that pink, up till the 1940’s, was thought of as a boy’s color and blue for girls. The thinking at the time was that pink had more energy (maybe because it comes from red?) and blue was a softer, more feminine color.
All the pinks you’ve shown are amazingly lovely! Can’t wait to see what color you’ll use to adjust the furniture’s tone in your mom’s bedroom….though I think I can guess what it’ll be. 😉
Great post and lovely as always 🙂
Author
I did not know this history of pink! Thank you so much for educating us. I do love men in pink, and my boys looked so gorgeous in it. It is an art to get it right, and I’m so glad that my pick for my mom’s room worked for them and did not need to be adjusted. I also chose the wall color for the guest bedroom I call “my bedroom” at their home. It’s a whispery grey aqua that looks incredible. I’ll share soon. Peace to you, lovely one.
Such lovely soft pinks but not for me. I am drawn to pink front doors. I don’t know why but they don’t read sweet to me. I’ve been tempted to paint mine pink but it wouldn’t reflect anything I have inside.
My guest room is mostly white. I’m trying to decide what colour to paint the walls so it remains neutral. At the moment it is cream. I’m thinking a very light blue might read as a neutral in keeping with the feeling I’m trying to attain. Will you be doing a post on blues? If so, I may get some inspiration from you.
Author
I love those doors too! Blue is in the hopper, and I think you’ll be pleased. I’m gearing up to paint a muted blue wall so we can explore beautiful blues together. 🙂
You’re the master of calm, serene spaces, so I’ll wait to see what you do with your room. It will be a fall project as summers are meant for the great outdoors.
Author
Man, I like your spirit. I too measure the richness of my summer by how many hours I am out in nature. You’re good for me, friend. xox
Thank you. I never knew pink could be so beautiful! Could you do the same explanation with white?
Author
Indeed! I need to blog about white paint possibilities since that is always a popular topic!
I’ve never even considered using pink in an interior, but seeing this wonderful post I realize how short-sighted I’ve been. I can’t believe this collection of amazing interior photos you’ve pulled together. Such fine examples of how pairing pink with other colors can make simply stupendous combos. I’m excited to try it.
Author
Woohoo! Behr’s Cameo Stone is a super safe pick when you’re easing into pink. 🙂
Love this
Author
Thanks so much for taking time to find lovely here!
Have always loved blush pink and have been in search of the perfect pink color for my bedroom for years… your post has got me searching again. Lovely… 🌸 and thank you.
Author
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know. Would love to see before and after pics and hear about the pink you choose – do email them! [email protected]
So I LOVE the pink door that says it Pink Ground Farrow and Ball but looking at a swatch of pink ground, I don’t know if it’s the same. Do you have any more info?? Thanks!!! 🙂
Author
It’s this very issue that illustrates why samples are so important as a starting point. Designers often share paint colors but because of photography, editing, computer screens, natural light variation through the day, geographical location, etc. the color that looks perfect in the photo does not look the same on our own door. We also never know if a homeowner or designer actually went through a process with that paint color and had the paint store mix it at a different saturation (50%?, 30%? +20%?). So you’re best line of defense is to start with at least 3 samples and try them before proceeding to pick the best one, tweaking the best one, or starting over. Light is everything and changes how paint colors appear in photos, on exteriors, and in different rooms of a home. If you have a good eye, you can even start with one paint color (such as Pink Ground) to get 3 different samples. You could talk to the paint shop about mixing 3 different variations with varying amounts of pigment: do you want the pink to be warmer, cooler, less bright, less saturated, more fleshy, less red?
Can you tell me the exterior colors painted on the main post page. I love them and I need a place to start looking for swatches. I am terrible at looking for color. Every time I see something I like the paint color names are not listed.
Author
I’m wondering if you are asking about the white house by the Fox Group on the main page? That one is painted Benjamin Moore Simply White. If you were referring to the board and batten coastal cottage (Lisa Furey), it is painted a much brighter white called Benjamin Moore White OC-151. Let me know if this helps as I’m happy to guide you. You can also email me at [email protected]