The Secret to Indulging Your Passion for Pink

When guests visit our home for the first time and enter our great room, I often hear the wives exclaim, "I love your PINK (pillows... vases... flowers...)!  I wish my husband would let me have PINK things in our house."  Surprisingly, the husbands typically respond with, "I didn't even notice the PINK in here."

I've discovered that the secret to successfully injecting the colour PINK into a family home is balance and restraint.

In our great room sitting area, I've incorporated PINK in very small doses;  two silk cushions, a hand blown vase, and as a quiet appearance in my own artwork - no more.

Combined with dark, rich colours, leather accents, and tailored window treatments, I've been able to indulge my love of PINK, while still creating a space that the males in our home feel comfortable in.   

  

 

When PINK is used strictly as an ACCENT,  and is paired with more masculine colours and finishes,  it complements and completes a well balanced design story.

In this master bedroom by Madeline Stuart, touches of PINK have been skillfully injected into what is otherwise a very gender-neutral design.

The deep hued walls in this dining room demand one's full attention, while the PINK upholstered chairs quietly add visual interest to the room's sophisticated decor.  

This home office by Evelyn Chin is a wonderful example of how a single splash of PINK can transform a room .  The rich, dark walnut desk is dominant in the space, offsetting the elegant, PINK desk chair to perfection. 

In this living room designed by Sarah Richardson, there is a subtle suggestion of PINK, but the warm, neutral walls and furnishings, grounded by dark wood accents, are key elements in creating this tailored and sophisticated entertaining space.

There are a handful of fortunate women who live in a family home with husbands and/or sons who do not suffer from 'Pinkaphobia'.  Their passion for all things PINK can be openly expressed in ways I can only dream about.

How I would love to capture the feel of this room by Candace Olson in my own home.  It's PINK, fresh, and positively feminine.

This undeniably pretty, PINK vignette graces the home of Jennifer Lopez.   It would look amazing recreated in our entrance hall.

 

I am fortunate that my husband appreciates my design style, and encourages me to express my creativity as I decorate our home.

And even though I adore the undeniably PINK wallpaper in this kitchen, I wonder if this level of self expression would still be tolerated by a man who's wardrobe is almost entirely black. 

       

There is one room in our home that I feel completely justified in decorating however I chose.  It's my secret space;  a place that the men in my home avoid at all costs...

The laundry room is where I indulge my PASSION for PINK and all things pretty.  It makes the chores associated with this space almost enjoyable!

If pink is only meant for little girls, then I'll always be five years old in my heart!