Colors are exciting not in isolation, but in combination,” says designer Chloe Redmond Warner, founder of Berkeley, California–based Redmond Aldrich Design and author of a new book, This Must Be the Place: Homes with Atmosphere (Abrams). One of her favorite hues to include in the mix? Pink. “It’s incredibly versatile—people don’t know that they want it,” she explains. “It creates tension with other colors. When you want to bring atmosphere to a space, add pink to make it prettier and softer; then add something atonal, like mustard yellow; energetic, like red; or cool, like green, and all of a sudden, you have interesting chemistry.”
Read on to discover how Warner uses a wide range of pinks—from dusty, violet-tinged hues to richly saturated terra-cottas—as the sometimes-surprising thread that knits a room together.
Leaven the Look With Modern Elements
A pink-on-pink dressing room (also seen below) feels more fresh than frou-frou, thanks to modern silhouettes like a wavy-backed banquette and shell-shaped sconces. “Monochromatic rooms can be really powerful. They bring the full weight of a color’s energy to bear,” notes designer Warner.
Conjure Surprising Combinations
A pale blush Sabine Marcelis table was the starting point for this dining alcove; Warner built her palette from there, warming the walls with Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon, adding the quirky contrast of mustard-yellow leather cushions, and layering in accents that reflect the main room’s green scheme. Finally, a touch of black in the chik blinds “keeps it from being too sweet.”
Color-Drench a Small Space
Subtle variations in shade enliven the monochromatic palette of the dressing room, with millwork painted in Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster and a graphic Patterson Flynn rug. “There’s depth to the hues here, with hints of lavender and red, so it doesn’t feel one-note,” explains Warner. “And it’s super flattering to skin tones.”
Reframe the Bath
A grid of tiles ranging from pale pink to brick energizes this bath in Mill Valley. “It’s like a fancy 1980s country club locker room, sporty yet feminine,” says Warner. “Pink and red are a power combo—and everything looks good with terra-cotta.”
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 20 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!
