Image copyright Clair Strong Interior Design

A few times recently I have been approached by clients who wanted to talk about ways to work with pastels in the home. Designers in recent years have promoted stronger, vivid colours or neutrals but this focus is now extending to include innovative ways to work with colour schemes that have often been criticised as being too old-fashioned, too feminine or too immature.

Personally, as a home designer, I am rather enjoying the rehabilitation of pastel tones. It’s every interior designers desire to have more and more options to generate unique and interesting home schemes.

Pastels Are for Life Not Just for Summer

One of the conventional myths about using pastel tones in the home is that these colours jar in the Winter and Autumn seasons and are too associated with Spring and Summer.

While it is true that the pastel shades are prolific in the gardens and countryside that surround us during the summer, it is worth remembering that soft dawn light of a pearly pink sunrise that appears on a crisp, winter’s morning or the milky green tones of a frosted field.

Soft pastel colours are ideal for reflecting light and for giving you a psychological boost on those long winter evenings when you’re snuggling up against the cold at home. Designers are encouraging their clients to consider these advantages of a scheme that is slightly more subdued and sophisticated yet rich in colour.

Avoiding the Sugary Look

If you still have a niggling anxiety about the risk of a saccharine and overly sweet effect should you work with pastels in your home, designers have a few tricks up their sleeves to counter this.

I recommend blending your soft tones with natural textures and hard materials. Some metals such as brass offer a perfect partnership with a pastel colour scheme in the home. Designers often combine the two to create a sense of warmth in the interior and to play with the contrast between the hard metal and the soft colours.

Accenting

I am also fond of integrating pastel shades into an interior design by playing with them as accents. It’s not hard to make a statement in a room with the use of crisp, clean white floors and walls accented by a pastel feature.

An alternative favourite, frequently recommended by home designers, is the use of accent pieces such as lighting, textiles and wall hangings. These accents are a safer bet for those who want some pastel colours but fear being overwhelmed.

Saturation

Or you can go the other end of the scale and try pastel saturation, an increasingly popular trend in the home. Designers are taking advantage of the light nature of the pastel shades to create amazingly luminous and fresh spaces. I very much believe that if you select a single pastel colour for a room and work with it in combination with a few neutrals, I can maximise the potential sense of relaxation. One colour used exclusively prevents competition and generates a lovely sense of calm.

So when you talk to your home designer try to remain open-minded about the pastel colour scheme. It has some overlooked advantages that will create a sophisticated and contemporary feel to the interior design scheme of your home.