Pastel Color Interior Design Ideas – How to Use the Soft, Delicate Shades

Pastel color interior design ideas are quiet and calm. These fantastic shades do not speak, but whispers. Pastel colors are unobtrusive, they do not irritate and do not cause anxiety. Pastel colors in interior design create a tranquil atmosphere, neutralize contrasting colors and are ideal for compromise combinations. The color of the walls determines the mood of the interior and sets the tone and the entire atmosphere in the house.

Pastels are a family of light shades with low saturation. They are velvety, as if powdered or dusted. Every color has a pastel version, even several versions. To create it, you need to mix the main color with white or pale yellow. The pastel version of purple is lilac or pale lavender, green is mint, sage or pistachio, orange is peach, red is light pink or light coral. It is very easy to use pastel colors for creating exceptional home interiors because there is practically no risk of messing up.

How to decorate a beautiful interior in pastel colors? What to choose – gentle romance or restrained sophistication? We shall reveal the secrets of successful pastel color interior designs and give you advice on the choice of style and décor techniques.

Advantages of Pastel Colors

The trend of creating calm and soothing interior designs is very popular in large cities, whose residents experience constant stress and fatigue. In such a design, an individual approach to the project is important, which must be carefully thought out, created without haste, in harmony with nature and oneself. Muted colors create a soothing atmosphere and do not strain eyesight and psyche. An interior in pastel colors does not get boring even after several years, so the decoration and furnishings in the room can simply be slightly updated with cosmetic repairs. Pastel colors have many advantages:

• Pastel shades create an atmosphere of calmness, lightness and sophistication.
• Due to their softness, you can use them in large quantity, as they do not irritate the eye.
• Different pastel colors get along well with each other. Few people dare to mix red, green and purple in one interior. With pastel versions, everything is much simpler: the combination of pale pink, lavender and mint will be neither sharp, nor flashy, nor disturbing. The interior will turn out to be quite calm and balanced.
• Pastels are refreshing. These shades belong to the spring palette and evoke a feeling of lightness and airiness.
• Pastels in the interior visually increase the space and the amount of daylight. This quality is useful for small rooms on the north side of the house.

How to Choose a Pastel Color Palette for Your Home Interior and Combine Shades?

Given the ability of dark and light shades to visually increase/decrease volumes, it is possible to correct the imperfections of any room. Warm pastel colors are usually used in rooms facing the north side. Peach, sand, yellow-orange, beige-brown shades are recommended for such areas. Light ultramarine, turquoise, blue, pearl, shades of gray are considered to be on the cold side of the spectrum. These tones are good for large rooms on the south side of the house. For example, a trendy mint shade in accessories, furniture upholstery, curtains is in harmony with ivory walls. Here are some ideas for you:

Peach and coral shades are very close to each other. They make the interior look brighter, create a feeling of warmth on a sunny spring day. These shades are perfect for both living room and bedroom. Peach looks great as the main background, and coral is best used as separate elements of decor and furnishings. Both tones are harmoniously combined with blue and turquoise, which remind of the tropical sea.

Pink shades are incredibly airy and light. They remind of the fragile petals of delicate pink roses covered with morning dew. Pastel pink wallpaper or paint is ideal for a girl’s bedroom.

Refined lilac and lavender are traditionally associated with interiors in the style of French Provence. Few people know that pale purple tones perfectly complement the classics and even modern styles – eco, modern, neoclassic. They go well with white, beige, gray and brown tones. Bright yellow and red accents, delicate turquoise and bronze details are also acceptable.

Pastel yellow is a positive, sunny and unobtrusive tone. The interior will look harmoniously with neutral base colors such as white and beige. Pale yellow wallpaper will brighten a room with north facing windows.

Pastel green and mint shades not only look refreshing, but will also have a positive impact on human psyche. Mint is a suitable option for a shabby chic and Provence style interior.

Soft pastel blue will be associated with summer skies and clear water. These shades are best used for interior decoration with south-facing windows.

Creamy and ivory pastel shades are the perfect backgrounds, they are not as bright as white and look much softer. Both pastel shades will be harmonious in a classic and modern style.

Pastel Color Combination Ideas

When choosing pastel colors for your interior you need to be careful and avoid a nursery room or a candy store look. To obtain the lightest and most delicate interior, the most successful combination will be with neutral shades such as white and light gray. Both colors harmoniously combine with almost the entire color palette and in combination with pastel tones form a romantic and relaxing interior design.

Monochromatic decor is based on one color of different saturation, from white pastels to deep shades.

Complimentary colors are opposite shades on the color wheel, such as pale pink and blue. In the design of the apartment, this combination looks brighter and more interesting. Despite the opposite colors, the room will not be overloaded due to the soft shades.

Analogous colors are the adjacent shades and will be a continuation of each other in the interior of the room. The shades are close to each other, but are not variations of the same color.

How to Introduce Pastel Colors in Your Interior Design?

Pastel colors are very easy to work with. They are the perfect choice for a main color and go well with traditional and modern materials. To add more variety and character to the pastel shades, it is worth adding geometric shapes, interesting prints and shapes, unique accents. There are different design techniques to introduce pastel colors in the interior décor.

Pastel Background

Painting the walls is the easiest and fastest way to update your interior design, and pastel colors are elegant and soothing. Delicate wall colors – whitewashed pink, blue or beige – are often used for retro-style interiors. It is easy to see that such an interior looks light and soothing. Pastel colors are often chosen for a children’s rooms, bedrooms, living or dining rooms in the English style, Vintage, French-inspired and Shabby Chic interior designs.

Pastel colors have the advantage of visually enlarging small spaces, so they are suitable for small, narrow rooms with limited space. The combination of pastel colors in the interior will look good with furniture and accessories in shades of beige, white and gray. You can also use a more pronounced shade of pastel on the wall, and this monochromatic color combination is a versatile choice.

Pastel Accents

Try using pastel colors as accents in your interior. A drop of pink or muted blue can create a vintage decor with a modern twist. And to avoid the effect of antiquity, they can be combined with white, gray or wood shades.

Pastel Furniture

Furniture in soft spring tones looks light, sometimes even weightless. It does not overload the space. This makes it ideal for small spaces.

Textile

The textile part of the decoration makes the interior cozy. Pillows, rugs and carpets are details that can change the mood of the house. The atmosphere will be more feminine with a floral pattern on a pink background or romantic with monochromatic delicate lavender accents.

Paintings and Wall Art

Paintings, even in the same color palette, can look completely different, depending on the style of the image. Wall art can support the general stylistic direction or reflect a thematic idea.

Accessories

Accessories are the finishing touch in creating an interior design. Candlesticks, ceramic figurines or vases add a romantic touch to the interior of the room. In the nursery, it can be beautiful dolls, stuffed toys or bedside lamps, in the kitchen, decorative plates or useful little things, and in the bathroom, a rug, boxes or cups for brushes.

Pastel color interior design ideas in different styles

Pastel color interior design ideas differ in style and each homeowner can choose a concept that reflects his lifestyle and taste. Here are some examples:

Shabby chic

Shabby chic is the most comfortable and homely style, where pastel colors are widely used. Pastel wallpaper with a playful floral pattern, furniture and lots of cute decorative elements create elegant and cozy atmosphere. The colors most commonly used in shabby chic design are milky, mint, peach, pink, blue, etc.

Provence

The Provence style is associated with the spaciousness and charm of endless lavender fields. Pastel accents on a white or milky background will make the interior airy and delicate. The walls can be finished with plain wallpaper, plaster, wallpaper with a floral pattern or a fresco.

Modern

The style allows you to combine different colors and materials. In the design of one room, pastel wallpapers will look harmonious, for example, with geometric patterns of the same color, but of different saturation. Furniture has simple shapes, and decorative items will emphasize the style of the room.

Nautical

A light range of turquoise, blue and beige colors will make the interior incredibly fresh and create a beach atmosphere. Delicate colors can be used as background or as additional ones.