Pastel Interior Colors, I will never forget the moment when I had entered the apartment of my friend Sarah three years ago. She had recently refurbished, the bleak white walls and charcoal furniture moving out and putting in something completely new. Her bedroom had a dusty rose accent wall, the living room was washed in soft sage green, and the cabinets in the kitchen were gleamed by the cabber handles, which shone against the palest butter yellow. The entire site was as though a sigh out of relief, relaxing, easy, and inconceivably elegant.
The visit altered my perception towards color in houses. Pastels, which I had always considered as a thing of nurseries and Easter eggs, were now quite comprehensible in adult homes.
What is a pastel color anyway?
Before we plunge further, it is best that we define what it is we are discussing. The pastel colors are simply the color that is highly watered with the white color. Imagine they are the whispering counterpart of their more aggressive counterparts. A pink pastel is just red or magenta with a lot of white mixed in it to the extent that it is soft and mild. The same applies to pastel blue (a diluted navy or cobalt) or mint green (an emerald diluted) or lavender (the mute relative of purple).
The technical one is high value and low saturation, however, truthfully, you can identify a pastel when you find one. It’s soft. It doesn’t shout. It welcomes you in as opposed to being demanding.
The reasons why Pastels are so effective in contemporary houses.
Having dedicated most of a decade to covering interior design and personally living through the numerous experimentations with colors in my own residences, I have realized that pastels are the solution to a number of issues that bedevil modern-day houses.
The Brightness Problem: In the new house we have high windows and open floor plans, which are terrific in allowing light into the house, but not so good when the bright white walls of your house start to reflect brighter than a mirror by midday. The pastels have a different absorption of light. The shade of a sun-catching pale peach or powder blue, it diffuses the sunlight and makes it warm without the severe bounce back of white.
The Sterility Problem: we have all been subjected to those unbelievably slick minimalistic rooms on Instagram, all white, grey, and possibly some black. They take pictures so well and yet they colden in reality. Pastels add a warm touch and character and keep that clean uncluttered look. Visual interest is achieved without disorder.
The Overwhelm Factor: Sometimes, rich tones and saturated colors are emotionally draining in huge amounts. One time I painted my home office in a rich teal and hoped it would bring out creativity in me. Rather, I was generally and slightly tense whenever I sat down to work. Pastels are also appropriate with the color but not intense–you can look at them.
The Top Light PastelColors in Various Rooms.
Any pastel will not fit any space effectively, and this is not just an observation, but a certain degree of experimentation on my part.
Living Rooms Soft sage or dusty blue or greige (that grey-beige mixture) will usually be a winner. These hues provide a friendly ambiance that is good both in the morning coffee and night wine. I have observed living rooms with pale terracotta that are extremely feel-good, particularly when combined with wooden furniture of natural origin.
- Bedrooms: The blush pink, lavender, and pale grey-blue shine in this location. The effect of these colors is known to be relaxing- there is real research on the psychology of colors, which supports this, but you do not need a study to explain why the effect of a bedroom painted in soft lilac will be more relaxing than the one painted in bright orange.
Kitchens Butter yellow and mint green, even pale peach, may make kitchens look cheery without being childish. I like the palest yellows especially in kitchens that do not get natural light much, the yells make it look like sunshine even when it is grey outside.
- Bathrooms: Soft aqua, powder blue or even modest pink can make a bathroom only functional to spa-like. The affiliation of water with blues and aquas is automatic, but I have heard of some amazing bathrooms in nearly naked peachy colors that feel exceptionally lavish.
The Trend, Not Technically a Trend.
What is interesting here is that pastels are in the spotlight of design media currently, yet it has never left. Going back through the design history, you will see pastel-periods in the 1920s, 1950s, and 1980s. They come and disappear in the popular arena, yet they have their reasons to be there as they serve a very real human need of soft, inhabitable colour.
Pastels are not going anywhere soon in the right context as opposed to other design trends that grow outdated in a span of five years. A dusky blue-grey bedroom will not be as much of a screamer as an all-millennial-pink bedroom would be.
Making Pastels Work for You
Should you want to go pastel in your place, begin by doing little. One accent wall, painted piece of furniture or even simply textiles in lighter colors can challenge the idea of whether you really should be comfortable with the softer colors.
Use your senses on the lighting around your house, natural and artificial. The pastels change radically under varying conditions of light. And look your weather and your sight. What seems to be a perfect beachy house in a sunny place in a coastal house would be cold and drab in a grey city apartment.
Above everything learn to trust your gut. What about the feeling that a color gives you, whether it calms you down, makes you happy or energetic, then that is your answer. Neutral rules on design can be useful, however, you are the one who is living in the space.
FAQs
Are pastel colors a way to make rooms smaller?
Not necessarily. Small rooms may be actually more spacious when light pastels are used instead of white, although with a lot more personality.
Do the pastels only suit some styles of design?
No. Pastels have been used in Scandinavian minimalism up to old cottage, depending on how it is used.
Will the pastel walls be easily dirtyable?
Most pastel paints have dirt on them as much as white. Paint with high satin finish in high traffic places.
Is it possible to make the spaces of men use pastels without looking too feminine?
Absolutely. The dusty blues, dark greys and lightened greens pass as classy and serene instead of being gender-based.
What makes pastels not look too childish or sickly sweet?
Weigh them against some adult features: dull wood, metal, leather furniture, and heavy and solid art.
