A Grown-Up Take on Decorating with Pastels

Once strictly confined to the baby’s nursery décor, pastels have come a long way from being the juvenile hues of choice to being a perfect setting for sophisticated, grown-up spaces. Pastel colors have many benefits – they are soft and soothing, they are varied, they are versatile, and they can be fairly neutral when necessary.

Round coffee table pastel color

Round coffee table pastel color

If you find yourself drawn to pastels for whatever reason, this just might be the time for you to give them a go, and not just in the kids’ bedrooms. The entryway, kitchen, living room, even home office – any and every room in the house has a place for pastel, if you simply approach the use of these color tones in the right way.

Pastels as a Foundation for Relaxation.

Round coffee table pastel color

One of the best reasons for incorporating pastel colors into a home’s design and décor is the sheer relaxation factor. Softer hued pastels are a perfect way to introduce color into a space without that color drawing too much attention to itself. Pastels are like the perfectly placed punctuation in the book of home décor – they quietly aid in seamless visual communication of the space to the senses.

Pastel Kitchen Appliances.

Round coffee table pastel color

Pastel kitchen appliances are making a huge comeback from the retro era. They add a sense of vintage charm to a Scandinavian kitchen or a soft splash of color to a more modern one. They key is in the balance and to try to refrain from making them all matchy-matchy.

Serene Pastels in the Bedroom.

Round coffee table pastel color

I think we could all safely agree that if there’s one space in the home where tranquility should prevail, it’s in the bedroom. But if you find your eyebrows raising at the thought of using pastels to achieve such serenity in the master bedroom, hold on. A foundation of soothing, saturated pastel could be just the thing for your creation of the ultimate sleeping space.

Black-Tie Affair: Pastels paired with Black.

Round coffee table pastel color

As the epitome of airiness, pastel shades can seem to “float away” in a space. This is likely why they were kept to nursery and child rooms for so long – they seem playful and light and not too complicated. But when paired with a grounding factor, such as a sophisticated black, the balance of pastels and black in a space takes on a new complex level of chic.

“Neutral” Pastel Upholstery.

Round coffee table pastel color

Don’t overlook the fact that, because pastels are typically a softer version of a given color, their use can sometimes read as neutral. This could be the perfect décor marriage – neutral yet colorful – for a larger furniture item, such as a living room sofa, where you want the piece to neither underwhelm nor overwhelm.

Pastel-painted Furniture (easy to DIY!).

Round coffee table pastel color

You very well have been inspired by images on Pinterest or other sources that involve doing-it-yourself pastel paint projects. This is a great time to give one of these inspiration photos a real-life go!

Pastels Bespeak Rustic Cottage Charm.

Round coffee table pastel color

There’s something about a chippy pastel-toned piece that brings out the vintage love in all of us, I think. Keep the pastels limited to a couple of pieces, and in the same color tone, for maximum effect if you gravitate toward this shabby-chic look.

Pastels with an Edge.

Round coffee table pastel color

A sure-fire way to keep pastel décor from feeling too sweet is to add a touch of something harder or edgier. Industrial-inspired pieces, such as this black metal pendant chandelier, provide a grown-up component to a pastel-loving space. The juxtaposition of both elements, soft and hard, is lovely and visually interesting.{image from itsmondaybutitsok}.

Soft Pastels and Warm Wood Tones.

Round coffee table pastel color

Just as it’s sometimes easy to forget that wood tones can be as critical to a space’s overall design as colorful ones, pastel plays an important role in the balancing act as well. The pairing of soft, rich pastels with the right wood tones in a space creates a breathtaking feel of Zen-like positive energy and flow. The warmth of both elements, pastel and wood, joins them together.

Pastel Built-in Cabinetry.

Round coffee table pastel color

Pastel kitchen cabinets provide a lovely sense of calm and depth in the kitchen. While all-white kitchens are the modern norm, kitchens infused with a touch of soft color (pale pastels, for example) maintain that bright, airy feel of a modern kitchen while also incorporating warmth and charm the all-white spaces sometimes lack.{found on site}.

Round coffee table pastel color
Round coffee table pastel color

So what do you think? Are they for you now, doable in the future, or could you ultimately pass on pastels?