10 Colorful Ways to Use Pastels in your Modern Interiors

There is something oh so comforting in colors that make you feel at home and welcomed into a friend’s home, isn’t there? Throughout the years of interior design trends colors in retro and vintage era in the 50’s and 60’s to bold and bright in the 70’s and 80’s – we’ve always loved how color creates an ambiance that we all relate to in our homes. Pastel colors have come a long way from only showing up in baby nurseries! Today they lend a relaxed feel to your living spaces, they add a retro appeal to your kitchen appliances and are uniquely modern in neutral paint colors for your entire home. Here are 10 colorful ways to get reacquainted with pastels in your modern interiors. 

1. Rediscovering the appeal of pastel colors in your home

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There was a time that baby girl pink and baby blue for boys were the only ways pastel colors were fashionable in homes. Once associated with only femininity and children, pastel colors emerged in the 50’s and 60’s coupled with bold black and striking contrasting colors to make a powerful design statement. In today’s interiors pastels are back and in a big way! Whether you are thinking of giving your interiors a makeover or just adding some pastel touches to your textiles – there is a wonderful emergence of pastels in interior design.

2. Pastel kitchen appliances are making a great comeback

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Kitchen appliances have come a long way from white, beige and black color choices. Today there is almost every color of the rainbow available for your refrigerator, stove and oven and even more varieties for your small countertop appliances like blenders and stand mixers. Whether you love pretty pastel pink kitchen tools to contribute to breast cancer awareness like so many home brands are doing, or you prefer an upscale gas burner professional grade stove/oven – all are available in your choice of gorgeous pastels from aqua and lavender to pink and buttery yellow. Pastel colors are a wonderful way to transform your boring colored kitchen to an inspiring one.

3. Relaxing interiors are perfect for pastel shades 

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There is something so relaxing about the lighter shades of the color palette for your spaces that you want to escape from the world in. Bathrooms, bedrooms and sitting rooms are ideal for using soft colored textiles, bedding, and decorative decor throughout your space. If you still want to keep a more masculine edge to your private rooms, consider mixing darker color hard surfaces like hardwood floors and darker color tile and countertops to create an equal balance among the two color spectrums.

4. Creating a country cottage look with pastel colors

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Whether you love the laid back appeal of Shabby Chic interiors or the rustic weathered look of classic cottage style, pastel colors can be a welcomed addition. Start off with furniture you love in patterns, solids, or mix and match them. Use pastel hues of whites, yellows, pinks, greens and blues to bring out natural influences. Weathered and distressed wood can create a beautiful backdrop, along with antique finds to bring out the country look with the addition of pastel inspirations.

5. Reupholster familiar furniture styles to set the pastel tones

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Many homeowners shy away from pastel colors, as they aren’t sure if their home will feel too soft and unsophisticated. Instead of starting off worrying about the colors, choose furniture that you are familiar with. Your favorite sofa and matching end tables coupled with hints of floral, stripes, or even polka dotted pastel fabrics will give your new pastel-enhanced interiors a sense of familiarity on your reupholstered furniture finds!

6. Choosing the right wood finishes to compliment your pastels interiors

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The easy versatility of pastel colors is the ability to blend with natural materials such as wood paneling, wood floors, rattan, seagrass and more in your interiors. Look to lighter colored woods such as white oak, bamboo, lighter maple and similar varieties to compliment your pastel decor and appointments. If you’d like a contrast in your interiors steer towards rich cherry wood which looks gorgeous with pink and peach colors or try mahogany or deep brown colored stains with pastel yellow, blue or green for a beautiful contrast.

7. Choosing your favorite DIY project for pastel color enhancements

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Whether you love perusing Pinterest for the latest DIY home project or you have some ideas of your own– there are an infinite number of pastel paint inspired projects out there. From painting ombre paint color – which means a gradient color method from light to dark, to painting a collection of farmhouse chairs in your favorite pastel hues, your own custom touches will be beautiful. Look through your home and determine would could use a new coat of pastel paint.

8. Throw away the idea that pastel colors are for one type of style

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Pastel colors aren’t only for the young or for those with feminine style preferences. The ability to pair navy blue, turquoise and soft air blue in a bedroom bedding combination would make any masculine bedroom come alive. Remember pastel colors help to create depth when combining with bolder patterns and colors. Use them as accents with your other dominant colors or make pastels your focal point.

9. Reinvent a new pastel color palette with muted neutrals:

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When thinking about pastel colors we only think of the obvious 7-8 colors that represent the rainbow but in pastel tones. Why not discover the whole world of muted tones or in other words the “gray” tones of all the colors. Find a color tint graph that represents the different saturations of color. You will find a pastel version of every color under the rainbow… and then some! So a deep purple can have a lilac pastel version or a muted gray with purple undertones that creates a pastel like the one seen below.

10. Inspire your design creativity with pastel colors

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Everyone gets a spark of creativity from different sources. Visit your local candy store, produce aisle at your favorite market or take a walk through a botanical gardens. You will be surprised how natural pastel colors are all around us on a daily basis. Determine what room you want to tackle with new pastel colors and then let your creativity run wild!

Freshome readers what rooms in your home have you tried adding pastel colors to?