How to Decorate with Pinks

Pinks have of course been ‘en vogue’ for some years now and these timeless new neutrals are staying at the top of the paint charts for a reason; they work with so many other colours and patterns from flooring to soft furnishings and hardware in a room and look as chic in a bedroom as they do in a lofty hallway. What is not to love?! Let’s take a look at some of our favourites..

Edward is renowned for creating the dusty risquee ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ and plaster pink  ‘Jonquil’. Pinks have of course been ‘en vogue’ for some years now and these timeless new neutrals are staying at the top of the paint charts for a reason; they work with so many other colours and patterns from flooring to soft furnishings and hardware in a room and look as chic in a bedroom as they do in a lofty hallway. What is not to love?!

Without further ado, we decided to give these reigning queens and kings of the colour chart a little more focus. We have shared our favourite recent pink rooms here below and our colour consultant Fiona De Lys is talking through the differences and what to pair them with over on our Instagram in the first chapter in a series of ‘Colour Clinics’.

This is a good yellow pink so Edward has borrowed the name of a colour made with Dutch Pink in the 18th century (Dutch Pink was actually a yellow pigment). Now often called a ‘plaster pink’, which has a wonderful soft hue that hovers between pink and yellow/beige. A truly sustainable, timeless colour which creates a wonderful backdrop in a period property as it does in an ultramodern home – it is favoured in every room from kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms to painted furniture.

One of the most FAQs we get is Jonquil or Cuisse…! 

In a nutshell our plaster pink ‘Jonquil’ has more yellow ochre and so is warmer whereas ‘Cuisse’ is just a little more dusty and delicate.  

Edward tends to keep ‘Jonquil’ for the downstairs, a gentleman’s pink with enough yellow to prevent it from being too feminine, he likes to use ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ for upstairs spaces including his own bathroom but it is all down to personal preference and the aspect and size of a room.  His general rule is for South facing aspects choose ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue ‘and for North you may need the warmth of ‘Jonquil’. 

Either are the perfect shade for right now as they create healthy home environment with no indoor pollutants or damaging microplastics so protect us and the planet. Shade wise, every room is different so either one of these will work in your space and you will know as soon as you see it sampled on the wall and watch the light through the day. 

Both are packed full of natural pigments so have a quite extraordinary and special finish, whilst the way they are made is more in line with traditional methods they are the ultimate modern pink based on their truly natural provenance and make up. 

‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ – the prettiest of our top sellers which has been used to fantastic effect in all types of  rooms, as seen in Edward’s own bathroom, a pretty girl’s bedroom and kitchens. 

Soft, creamy and incredibly gentle on the eye we love to use this delicate, dusty pink to bring calm to any room. It adorns the stylish changing rooms at ME + EM and for good reason, Joanna Plant said it is the most universally flattering colour ever….so yes before you ask the team here have all repainted their home offices for zooms, bedrooms and bathrooms in this softest forgiving shade!  

Edward’s great hero is the architect Robert Adam who used pinks to great effect and so what Edward has done is to recreate pink in a traditional way with an artist’s eye and that is why they work well. It adds more interest than beige shades and complements both period and classic architecture as well as modern lines and aesthetics. It is a very versatile colour and we see it time and time again in every room of the house.  It can soften large rooms of great proportions and in smaller spaces add warmth. Finding the perfect shade is all down to the sampling. Edward Bulmer has created shades of the top selling colours and all the popular pinks are available in 60%, 40% and 20% of the full pigment so everyone can find that magic colour for their space. 

‘Lilac Pink’ – which is neither lilac nor pink, but the perfect neutral with a subtle pink hue used to great effect throughout the house.  It transformed the dark hallway and landing at the home of Edward and Emma Bulmer and goes with every type of picture frame from gilt to monochrome but so much more interesting than off whites or stony colours.  So you can be a bit brave with Lilac Pink and start to embrace more colour in the knowledge that it goes with everything. Interior designer Sarah Brown has created a stunning sitting room, using dark blue doors to contrast and creating a stylish yet comfortable beautiful room with stunning photography by Rachael Smith. 

‘Mason Pink’ the latest perfect pink which has been created for British womenswear designer Anna Mason.  Edward has created his dustiest pink yet; pink is the undercurrent in so many materials used for masonry, from stone to terracotta or brick. This is what makes it such a great colour for walls – in grand or intimate spaces. Good pinks, light or strong, need to be settled down with earth pigment and often a pinch of black. This colour exudes a gender neutral confidence that flatters everything so use it everywhere! 

Edward created ‘Mason Pink’ for fashion designer Anna Mason and she has painted her Belgravia atelier in it floor to ceiling, just as flattering with just little more brown making it even duskier than Cuisse and Jonquil. 

Anna adds “I’d fallen in love with Cuisse de Nymphe – a pink that was just dirty enough not to be sugary and I was equally drawn to the shades of tobacco brown I’ve also used in the Maison for tone and balance.” Edward believes Mason Pink can be used in multiple ways: “Soft, creamy and incredibly gentle on the eye, it helps to bring a sense of calm to any room.”

Create a warm welcome and paint your front door pink! 

What colour doesn’t pink pair with?! As with all our colours, our pinks are made from the same twelve natural earth and mineral pigments which means they all just work together. You can choose colour and pair like a pro as our colours will allow you to create tonal harmony both in the room and with the rest of the house.  We love the bold pairing of ‘Nicaragua‘ and ‘Pompadour’ by @thatrebelhouse and pink can even look wonderful on a ceiling too!  

“The key to a timeless pink interior is to ensure they are neither too sugary, blue, babyish or garish,” says Emma Bulmer, head of colour consultancy, and recommends pairing dusky pinks with deeper hues like ‘Pompadour’ or smoky ‘Nicaragua’. “It creates high contrast and adds some drama while remaining soft and tonally consistent. We love using the deeper pinks like Nicaragua and Pompadour on fireplaces and cupboards and inside bookshelves with good lighting.  

Another surprising pairing with pinks, are the deeper blues; such as Indigo, Azurite or the steely Cerullian Blue, these colours are naturally paired together and often seen in fabrics designs too. 

A timeless colour pairing which must always be seen is Pink and Green! In fact, Edward Bulmer’s favourite combination, as many know from his own panelled sitting room scheme in the softest green ‘Pomona’ with pops of pink in the soft furnishings. Or for an earthier effect try ‘Drab Green‘ with ‘Nicaragua‘ or ‘Rose‘.

We are most excited about pinks with browns, our browns have enjoyed a revival too recently and look so stylish when paired with pinks. We are obsessed with our brighter archived pink ‘Rose’ with ‘Etruscan Brown’ styled by our colour consultant Fiona de Lys.

Or create a more muted tonal palette with the lighter Shade Collection on walls and the full colours or deeper colours on woodwork. The bestselling pinks Jonquil, Cuisse de Nymphe Emue and Lilac Pink are all available in our Shade collection with 60%, 40% and 20% of the full pigment versions. These are very popular as you can find the perfect pink whatever your room or aspect, see more here.

We definitely think these sophisticated pinks are here to stay, a new breed of new neutrals which ooze understated elegance in any setting.  

When people ask why they should switch to our natural paints, we often start by directing them to what is at our core, the fact that we declare all our natural ingredients and are wholly natural and honest! Our list of responsible and sustainable credentials is long but ‘eco’ aside the biggest reason to make the switch….you won’t find colours like these anywhere else.