Picking The Perfect Pink Paint Color

For all of its popularity and potential, pink can be quite difficult to get right. Excited by the color’s possibilities but mindful that it’s a hue best left up to the experts, we turned to Savannah-based interior designer Stephanie Tallevast, who incorporates pink into many of her projects, for advice.

Acknowledging that “Nothing warms a space or flatters its inhabitants like the color pink, but selecting the right shade can be daunting,” Tallevast recommends choosing a color that has some gray, white, or brown in it to keep it from being too saturated and strong. And, as always, testing paint colors on the wall where you are going to paint is a must, as light at different times of day can have a major influence on how it appears.

From soothing and sophisticated tones to a shade ripe for contrast, here are Tallevast’s pink paint color picks for those considering the tricky hue:

Benjamin Moore AF-255 Fondant. Benjamin Moore’s “Fondant” has a young blush undertone with the slightest saturation, making it a sophisticated pairing with neutrals in the taupe and brown range. Punch it up with dusty teal or bittersweet orange accents and some global style furnishings.

Benjamin Moore Early Sunset 2096-70. “Early Sunset” is a faded mocha color with a pinky cast. This is a great backdrop to capture a 20s, 50s, or 70s look, or even for a super modern design scheme. Keep forms in a room of this hue streamlined instead of fussy to project a fresh and updated look. It sings along with sienna, plum and saffron, as well as with mixed metallics.

Farrow and Ball Middleton Pink 245. This is a clear pink, light enough to let other room elements shine. Bright whites, neutral grays, or saturated brights take center stage against this shade. Consider it for a little girl’s room that needs to grow into a young lady’s space.

Sherwin Williams SW 6605 Charisma. The name says it all, and this punchy hue is great for capturing the Palm Beach decorating craze with the perfect coral. It’s saturated, so lots of white along with pops of turquoise blue, daisy yellow, and lime green can help to balance it out. If a whole room of “Charisma” is too much for you, feel free to start small—this color looks great lacquered on a vintage piece of furniture.

Sherwin Williams SW 7101 Futon. An apricot-undertoned off-white, this color provides a warm backdrop that is beautiful with brown or driftwood-stained wood furniture, and it’s a home run against a mix of cream and ecru fabric textures. Pair it with a creamy white trim for a soft, tone-on-tone contrast.

TSG Tip 167 from Stephanie Tallevast of S. Tallevast Interiors, featured in The Scout Guide Savannah.