Pastel decorating ideas – 10 ways to embrace a soft, whimsical color scheme

These pastel decorating ideas are fun and simple ways to incorporate soft and quirky hues into your home. A key player in the home decor trends, we're seeing pastels used in every room from the living room to the bedroom and even on kitchen cabinets. While they might be subtle and more muted than deep, rich shades, pastels can really pack a punch and create an impact in your space. From going all out with an entirely fresh color scheme to adding in selected statement accessories, let the power of pastels bloom with these creative design ideas. 

BY HEBE HATTON, SOPHIE WARREN-SMITH, AMELIA SMITH

Lilac is big news in the interior design sphere at the moment and we're expecting to see a surge in this pretty pastel shade throughout the year. With cool bluey undertones, lilac is an inherently cool color. This means it works particularly well in south-facing rooms, so the cool tones can balance out the yellow warmth of the sun to create an ambiance that's pleasing to the eye. We love the color courage in this space of taking the shade on all walls and floors. Sticking to black and white with the furniture and accessories makes for a calm and cohesive scheme, letting the lilac do the talking. This living room idea is one we'll be copying this season, and we've got our eye on French Lilac from Benjamin Moore to recreate the look.

If there's one room where we need to feel calm, it's the bedroom, so any green bedrooms are a great way to go. For many of us, the thought of an all-over color is too much. So if you'd be happier sticking with a neutral backdrop, think creatively to find a space where you could create an accent. Here, a block of soft pastel green has been painted to create the effect of an extended headboard, framing the bed and giving the room a clear central focal point. 

We’ve labored on about color blocking for a while now, but it is a great way to add new colors without them overwhelming the space. We love how this semi-circle block of pastel pink acts as a headboard in the space – a genius way to turn your bed into a design feature whilst taking up minimal room. 

Yellow is the color of optimism - think sunshine, smiley faces and warmth, but for many it can be too much. Choosing a more pastel hue, as seen in this yellow bedroom idea, is a more subtle, calming way to introduce this positive shade into your home. We love how this linen chair blends in seamlessly with the wall color for a highly curated scheme that makes the room feel bigger than it is. Golden hour by Mylands is the perfect pastel yellow – not too dark and not too subtle.

Add in pops of pastel hues with furniture and accessories. From dining chairs to pendant lights and from statement sideboards to decorative armchairs, this is a great way to test out the power of pastels on a non-permanent basis. We love these mix and match dining chairs, bringing a playful and fun feel to the scheme. 

Unusually shaped walls can be seen as an annoying burden, or they can be seen as an interesting architectural feature that you can accentuate with color. These pastel blue hues make for a calm and collected space. The contrasting dark blue paint makes a great ceiling idea and creates the impression of a cozy and cocooning nook.

Well isn't this a breath of fresh air? We've seen dark blue and rich green kitchens take the spotlight for years, so why not stand out from the crowd with soft, minty pastel kitchen cabinetry? This modern handleless design exudes clean lines and is sleek and minimal for a calm and tranquil space. If you want to recreate this look but you are doing up a kitchen on a budget, then look to painting the kitchen cabinets yourself for a quick DIY.

Sitting at opposite ends of the color wheel, pink and green is a match made in heaven, but when they take a pastel twist, the look becomes even more whimsical. This striking wall hung vanity unit pops against the soft pink wall for a space that's sure to brighten your every morning. 

If you've got a neutral blank canvas, add some pastel pops and make a talking point in your room with a pastel gallery wall. We love gallery walls, but choosing a specific palette like this to stick to is a really straightforward way to ensure your wall appears expertly curated. 

Pastels work perfectly in home offices. Take Benjamin Moore’s Southfield Green, for example– not too bold so you are distracted from your mountain of work but not so bland that you feel totally uninspired.