It’s no secret that pink is my favorite color, and I believe that pink can be a beautiful wall color when chosen well. Unfortunately, it’s a difficult color to get right and the results are often more Pepto than pretty. Here are several of my favorite pink shades along with the reasons I love them and a few suggested uses. I’ve also included several examples of the colors in actual rooms.
All paint colors are from their respective brands’ websites, but my descriptions are based on the actual paint chips.
- Wild Aster, Benjamin Moore
This is my favorite pink, hands down. It’s very subtle with a lot of taupe and lilac, but it still reads as pink. It’s the most sophisticated and adult of all the pinks here, perfect for a living room or master bedroom. - Reverie Pink, Behr
Similar in tone to Wild Aster, but less muted. - Powder Blush, Benjamin Moore
A nice happy pink, this would be nice in a kid’s room. - Pink Innocence, Benjamin Moore
Lovely pink with just a touch of muted lilac. - Peony, Benjamin Moore
This deep pink would be gorgeous in an entryway, powder room, or dining room. - Milk Glass Pink, Martha Stewart (Valspar)
A delicate light pink. I’d love to see this in a feminine kitchen. - Bare Pink, Pittsburgh Paints
Another delicate light pink, but a little bit peachy. - Old Fashioned Pink, Behr
A very pure pink with a little coral in it. It may be a bit bright for an entire room, but it would be perfect on furniture. - Ballerina Pink, Benjamin Moore
This pale pink is one shade lighter than Pink Innocence. - Tutu, Martha Stewart (Valspar)
Glamorous and a bit old-Hollywood, this would be perfect in a dressing room. - Blushing Bride, Benjamin Moore
Some bold pinks can be too magenta, too fuschia, too neon, or too dark. This pink is none of the above. I’d love to see this color in a creative space, like a studio or home office. - Sugar Egg Pink, Martha Stewart (Valspar)
There is a nice lilac tone to this pink. I think it would be gorgeous in a powder room with a vintage tub, nickel fixtures, and a little crystal chandelier.
And as promised, here are a few of these colors (as seen in my home and my old apartment)…
Wild Aster, in my living room
Wild Aster, in my studio
Ballerina Pink, in my old entryway; Pink Innocence, in my old office
Powder Blush, on the dresser in Eleanor’s nursery
Emily S
July 20, 2009 at 11:47 pmI agonized over what shade of pink to paint the nursery when I found out I was having a girl. I ended up settling on Silk Sheets by Valspar and I think it turned out rather well. You can see it here…..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmylizzy/3695587736/in/set-72157621051627448/
elle
July 20, 2009 at 11:52 pmWOW Wild Aster is delicious! I’m going to keep this color in mind when I get my first place. Thank you so much! :)
Emma
July 21, 2009 at 12:11 amI love pink! But I am always too terrified that I will look like a Malibu Barbie sugary freak if I paint my walls pink…some great options. Now if only I could get my Mister to embrace a bit more pink into our little cottage…
Thank-you for the inspiration xxx
Sara McGinness
July 21, 2009 at 12:38 amI never ever thought I would want to use pink in my decorating but reading your blog and this pink totally makes me want to paint a room pink, now to just get my husband on board.
Lindsay @ Likely Design
July 21, 2009 at 1:19 amNot related (although I love the colors – tempted to paint my powder room pink now! It is in my daughter’s room…), but where do you get the “paint swipes” in your graphic?? I’ve always noticed those on your mood-boards and have wanted to know how to get them!! :) Thanks, Nicole!!
Lisa
July 21, 2009 at 4:10 amA few years ago I went underwent a long search to find the right shade of pink for my bedroom. I returned so many trial cans of paints to the Home Depot because they keep falling at the wrong ends of the pink continuum (either too preschooler or too old lady). Finally, I hit upon the right shade: Tuscan Beige by Behr. Even though its’ name says ‘beige’ it reads very pink…a perfectly, subtle pink that gave the room some warmth and looks great in all different light variations. Good pinks are truly hard to find. Thanks for compiling such a great list.
Aspirations of a Southern Housewife
July 21, 2009 at 7:02 amGood pinks ARE hard to find. I avoided pink for my office (my one me-only space) and ended up with a pinky beige but now I’m thinking I need Wild Aster on the walls. Great compilation!
The Tiny Homestead
July 21, 2009 at 7:07 amI love this post! I’m in the process of finding a pink for my crafting studio space and this gives me some more options. The pink that I just picked up a trail of is a little too lilac. I think Milk Glass and Reverie might be ones to try for my space.
Rachel Leigh
July 21, 2009 at 8:30 amThese colors are great! I painted my bedroom pink using B. Moore’s Onyx White. It’s not as light as you would think, it’s a brownish, calm pink that looks great in any light and is very flattering!
Desiree
July 21, 2009 at 9:10 amI know what you mean about pink paint. I painted my first daughter’s room bright pink and the first choice was awful. The second one was much better and it goes with the PBK Bright Pink linens very well. We just painted my (soon to be) second daughter’s nursery pink and green. The paint I chose was “Hawaiian Shell” by Behr (Home Depot). We really like it and I’m glad we only did one wall b/c even though it is pretty, it’s a lot of pink. You can check out our complete nursery room here if you want.
http://mommatobug.blogspot.com/2009/07/nursery-room-on-small-budget.html
-Desiree
Katrina
July 21, 2009 at 9:48 amSo screw the paint color…
Where did you get that painting of the woman?
Do you do that yourself?
It is amazing! I want it! :)
Simone
July 21, 2009 at 9:55 amtoo bad I you didn’t make this post a few years ago… I painted my bedroom flamingo pink (or, as the paint company called it, ‘Autumn Red’) and regretted it. now it’s a nice cheery orange, but I definitely wouldn’t mind painting it any of these colours.
Shanon
July 21, 2009 at 10:05 amThis is awesome. I love the variety and it’s immensely helpful to hear someone’s take on each color.
Macy
July 21, 2009 at 10:10 amI adore pink as well – by far my favorite color :] I can’t decide if I want my office pink or not. I am leaning toward “yes” but now to decide if it will be on the walls or just in the decor! Decisions decisions!
puck
July 21, 2009 at 10:28 amHmmm… I am doing my dining room in Sugar Egg Pink.. almost did Scented Notepaper, but it was too Pepto. I have Bella Pink, by Behr, which I think you’d like, in my master bedroom. And did Ballerina Gown (Behr) in my closet that I handpainted hydrandea wallpaper on.
Closet:
http://cottageofstone.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-wild-pink-orange-aqua-closet-in.html
Bedroom:
http://cottageofstone.blogspot.com/2009/01/master-bedroom-update.html
Dining Room:
http://cottageofstone.blogspot.com/2009/03/dining-room-ready-set-go.html
(Also shows your Wild Aster against the other two pinks I mentioned).
Just thought I would share for more pink ideas. :)
Jenny
July 21, 2009 at 10:31 amI am actually wondering if you can tell me more about the sliding doors in your office… meaning, where you got them. I want to send the bi-fold doors on our “laundry closet” packing this weekend.
Sara
July 21, 2009 at 10:52 amAlso wondering about the sliding doors…
Do you have any tips for doing a fabulous paint job?
Amber
July 21, 2009 at 11:20 amUgh, where were you when I was picking a pink for our bedroom. It’s DEFINITELY pepto. Horrible. Repainting soon and going with a light gray. I think I’ve ruined my chances at a pink room with my husband hahah.
kelley
July 21, 2009 at 11:46 ami believe you may have just convinced me to paint my office/sunroom in our new house pink. thank you!!
Andrea
July 21, 2009 at 12:43 pmI needed this post 1 week ago! Over the weekend, I painted my daughter’s bedroom Ballerina Gown by Behr. I was hoping for a very pale you-can-hardly-tell-it’s-pink shade, and this is not quite that, but it’s okay. Thanks Nicole!
Natalie
July 21, 2009 at 12:49 pmThank you so much! I daydream about future nursery possibilities and one of the things I’ve wondered about is how to find a nice, subtle pink instead of an icky bubble-gum pink. Thank you for all of your help!! :)
Darling Darleen
July 21, 2009 at 1:13 pmI love your use of the color pink! You make it look so easy to use in another room beside a child’s room. Great studio. And thank goodness you have a little girl. I’d love to see how you’d use pink in a little boy’s room.
Yansy
July 21, 2009 at 2:31 pmThanks Nicole, Pink can be a very intimadating color to work with. I love how you have incorporated the color in your home without making it too girly.
melissa baldwin
July 21, 2009 at 2:51 pmSo pretty. Pink is such a happy color:) Love your bookshelf in the picture above. I can never get my shelves to look so nice and organized like yours.
Jacci
July 21, 2009 at 3:48 pmDrat. And I thought I had all the paints picked out for this house. Now I have these gorgeous pinks to haunt me and make me wonder if I should rethink ;) Love, love, love your living room. Perfection.
XO,
Jacci
Martina
July 21, 2009 at 4:36 pmThis is a great post! Thank you. I like pink but I would be reluctant to put it on walls or furniture, honestly, even for a girl’s nursery. I will definitely keep this post on file for when I do decide to paint a pink room.
Landry
July 21, 2009 at 4:51 pmDid you also paint your ceilings pink in your office? It may just be the lighting in the picture but it looks like they are.
Chelsea
July 21, 2009 at 5:49 pmJust painted my master BR ‘milk glass’ from lowe’s. it’s a PIA to work with, especially if you are covering another color but i LOVE the result!
Bryn
July 21, 2009 at 7:13 pmTHANK YOU! I am in the works of designing a young girl’s room and this list of pinks is so very helpful. Thanks again :) You’re the best!
Steph
July 21, 2009 at 9:25 pmNicole–I can’t believe I’ve never noticed your round coffee table before! I love it! Where did you find it?
Thanks!
Caitlin
July 21, 2009 at 10:00 pmWow! I wish you could do this for every color in the rainbow since I’m having troubles and commitment issues about re-painting my kitchen after choosing what I thought was a nice looking yellow :(
Kim
July 21, 2009 at 10:57 pmI adore all of those pinks! Its simply the best color! =)
And that space with the bookshelves is adorable!
Jenn
July 22, 2009 at 12:59 amThank you! I just got the most beautiful mental image in my head of that last one with the bathroom. The nickel fixtures would stand out strikingly. Genius.
Macy
July 22, 2009 at 9:43 amOh my! Pink is my favorite color too and this is simply love!
kasey at thriftylittleblog
July 22, 2009 at 11:40 amThose are all so beautiful. Thanks for the paint guides, picking a specific paint color is so difficult!
jbhat
July 22, 2009 at 12:57 pmYour house makes me swoon. It’s so pretty. I wouldn’t want to live with all the pink, which is just me–I prefer aqua and other pale blues and greens–but you are so lucky that you get to indulge in your favorite color and that your partner is on board. I’m sure many men out there would not be as cool.
megan
July 22, 2009 at 1:10 pmthank you so much for sharing your pink picks. :) i’m getting ready to paint my bedroom pink, and i think wild aster is going to be the color i choose…yay!
ashley
July 22, 2009 at 2:42 pmI am moving next month and wanted a fresh new look for my living room. When I saw this blog post, I knew exactly what direction I would go – Pink, of course! I’ve never in my life had a pink room or even a wall, so this will be a fun adventure. I am thinking Wild Aster or Tutu. Thanks for the inspiration! :-)
Susana
July 22, 2009 at 4:18 pmI love pink! I (ok, my husband) painted the inside of my closet Peony. It was divine, and opening the closet every morning made me smile (we just moved out of that house). It was like a little secret just for me.
Jan
July 22, 2009 at 5:46 pmIt is so difficult to find the perfect shade of the color you want. I am currently trying to find the right shade of pale blue for my living room. I have so many samples and it is so confusing. You are very lucky to have a husband who doesn’t mind all of those pink walls. But they are SO pretty.
Kacey
July 22, 2009 at 8:40 pmPlease tell me where I can find that precious pink zigzag rug in your living room. It would look perfect in my soon to be 2 year olds “big girl room.”
Down Pillow
July 22, 2009 at 8:58 pmSome beautiful shades – I really love the peony :)
Jessica
July 22, 2009 at 10:12 pmPink is my favorite color, too, and I must say that Palace Rose (Behr) is really beautiful.
Terri
July 23, 2009 at 6:51 amCongrats on your mention on the Washington Post blog watch today! I was mentioned too – your post is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing this wonderful info and photos of your gorgeous rooms. Makes me re-think pink for my walls! xo Terri
Kathryn
July 23, 2009 at 8:11 amI was coveting your coffee table too, I’m looking for a round one to go in our narrow living room and break up the angles. Where did you find it?
Thanks!
Cindy
July 23, 2009 at 9:37 amVery nice! When it comes to pink, I like a complex shade. A client showed me Ben Moore’s Strawberry Yogurt, which we used on the walls of her little daughter’s room. I also like the softness of Sherwin-Williams White Dogwood, a fabulous pink I found on the same color chip as their familiar Red Bay. I once read that Martha painted every room in her Maine house pink. It’s a very liveable color.
Lindsay
July 24, 2009 at 9:41 amSwoon….those Floral Curtains in your studio are FANTASTIC. Where did you find those?!
rhoda
July 24, 2009 at 3:05 pmthanks for posting the colors WITH the names of paint and what brand they are. i hate looking at colors on blogs and not knowing what color that is! :)
{blog love} this week i love… « {in the tweeds}
July 25, 2009 at 8:10 am[…] Picking the perfect pink paint – {Making It Lovely} – the queen of pink gives the ultimate guide to picking pink paint! […]
Rachel James
July 26, 2009 at 11:04 amWild Aster is also a favorite paint color of mine, not sugary at all. Congrats on your Washington Post nod, and Im so glad I found you there!
Rebecca
July 26, 2009 at 11:34 amHi! I like your post! I just did a post on pink as well and linked back to your post!
Ashley Yousling
July 26, 2009 at 6:19 pmEvery time I see photos of your house or office, I drool. I can’t help it. I instantly feel the urge to redecorate my whole house in such lovely fabrics and shades of pink and brown and all those other glorious colors and patterns. You are fortunate your husband appreciates or tolerates the pink! While it isn’t the only color, any shade of pink might alarm my husband…haha. :)
seven things (july twenty seventh)
July 27, 2009 at 12:33 am[…] three: must have: nars orgasm (US:sephora | AUS: mecca cosmetica) four: picking perfect pink paint (making it lovely) five: the simone costeau scarf thrush vintage six: italian elle gorgeousness (camilla akrans) […]
Kimberly
July 27, 2009 at 9:48 amGreat post! I LOVE the peony pink! My dressing room/craft room/guest bedroom on the southwest corner of our house is Milk Glass Pink, and when the sun hits the west window in the late afternoon the room postively glows. One of these days I’m going to post about that room…
Erin
July 27, 2009 at 5:31 pmI LOVE this post. I am a lover of all things pink, but unfortunately my husband doesn’t share my taste, so I’ve never gotten to do a pink room. We’ll be decorating a new house soon and finally with a baby girl coming, I’ll finally get my pink room! I can’t wait to check out some of these shades and see if one will work on her room. I really love the blushing bride. You’re spaces are just too gorgeous!
vintage simple
July 27, 2009 at 7:13 pmLove that living room…. every time I fall in love with all-white rooms, color wants to pull right back in!! :) Lovely, lovely. That couch, too, and the rocker, and the rig, and the pillows….and the color on the wall, so subtle and neutral and yet…pink. Perfect. :)
-maria
Patrice
July 28, 2009 at 5:51 amA lovely and a gorgeous living room painted with Wild Aster. Love it.
Laura Gaskill
July 30, 2009 at 11:16 pmYou can’t imagine what perfect timing this is for me – my hubby & I are moving into our new (first!!) house in exactly 30 days, and I am in the process of choosing the perfect pink to paint our living/dining space. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I still haven’t decided yet, but seeing your photos is immensely helpful :)
The Lil Bee
July 31, 2009 at 8:40 amThis is so helpful, you have no idea. Our nursery is a buttercream yellow and we’re going to work in pink throughout, so the palette will be varying shades of pinks and yellows, marigolds, etc. There’s one spot that I’m actually going to accent in pink (we’re painting a tiny house) and we need the perfect color. That probably sounds crazy, but I’m hoping for sweet. And modern. Anywho, THANK YOU!!
Melissa de la Fuente
August 4, 2009 at 4:03 pmThis is just genius and thank you SO much! I want to paint my dining room a pretty pale pink and this will help me so very much in picking out a color! I found this post via the lovely blog Lolalina. Just beautiful!
xo
Melissa
Fawn
August 7, 2009 at 5:39 pmThanks for the list of pinks. It came at a perfect time. I moved my little girl to her big girl bed and it was time for a makeover. I ended up with the Wild Aster. I LOVE it. I sampled Tutu and Balerina Pink–the seemed too bright in her sun filled room. The wild Aster is perfect. I never would have found that color without your help so thank you.
Twitted by mkgraces
August 8, 2009 at 2:16 pm[…] This post was Twitted by mkgraces […]
...love Maegan
September 2, 2009 at 6:24 pmOMG YOUR HOUSE IS AS CUTE AS YOUR BLOG!
Lillian
October 30, 2009 at 6:31 pmI am so thankful for this site:) I’ve been trying to find the perfect shade of pink for my living room and finally–wild aster. I picked it up today and it’s perfect for a pink and brown living room. Thanks so much for sharing that color. I’ve gone through at least 4 other paint colors trying to find the right one. Wild aster has enough gray/neutral in it so that it isn’t so “little girl” pink. Thanks!
Real Rooms: She Makes Things Lovely | Project Nursery
December 21, 2009 at 1:41 am[…] do you like best?” and receive 174 opinions! Nicole is a also huge fan of pink, pink and more pink. So, it must have been her destiny to give birth to a beautiful baby girl. And need we say what […]
Monica
March 6, 2011 at 12:31 pmWe’ve made the choice to paint both of girls rooms pink and we’re too happy with the results. One of them were too bright! I only wish that would have found your site sooner because you offer such beautiful colors! What do you think of a pink color for a tween bedroom? We’re thinking of painting over the exsisting bright pink and painting over it with Pink Innocense since I loved the way it looked in your office. What color do think reads pink but not too bright?
Monica
March 6, 2011 at 12:33 pmSorry for the typos, I meant we’ve painted both of our girls rooms pink and we’re not too happy with the results.
Jennifer
March 13, 2011 at 9:27 pmHi-
I’m hoping for some advice! I want to do a pale pink in my 6 year old daughter’s room. We’ve had all the walls painted a sage green since she was a baby, and want a change. I was thinking of doing the wall behind her bed in a pale pink, and the other walls in a white. The room has a 10 foot ceiling white a white chandelier with black shades, and the windows have white plantation shutters. Her furniture is black. I want to do a black and white duvet and use different shades of pink in accents throughout her room.
I thought I would LOVE Benjamin Moore “Dog’s Ear,” I’m liking the color but it’s too bright for what I want. It looks like bubble gum. I want something that doesn’t have any lilac undertones – just a pale, pretty pink. What I think looks good on the swatch seems to look “fleshy” when I get it home.
Can you help?
Thanks!
Jennifer
Which Pink? « Manipura House
June 22, 2011 at 11:07 am[…] store now carries RL). Then I came upon Nicole Balch’s blog Making It Lovely, and her post on Picking Perfect Pink Paint. Yes! I learned that I was not the only grown woman who loved pink, and some of them were willing […]
The Many Shades of Pink Nurseries | Project Nursery
July 7, 2011 at 4:57 pm[…] Farrow and Ball’s Middleton Pink or Benjamin Moore’s Wild Aster Pink seen in this blog post by Making It […]
Claire
August 12, 2011 at 2:01 pmLove this room! Who is the rug by? Have been looking for the same look for my daughter’s room!
Claire
August 12, 2011 at 2:03 pmOops, should have been more specific… the rug in the living room photo! Thanks!
kiki
January 24, 2012 at 10:15 pmgreat post, thanks, you helped me out enormously, i’ve been looking for inspiration for a while, we’re painting our new house before we moved in, i went in got samples and we’re on our way to a beautiful pink house, my hubby is 100% behind it though he wants his office martha stewart’s pink granite, now can you tell me whats a good color for our cabinets,we’re repainting and don’t want white … he he, it’s okay, i know you’re busy but i will check back for follow up comments
thanks nicole, i’ve been a lurker for forever but you really helped so thanks thanks thanks
some apartment updates | therecomesayes.com
February 3, 2012 at 6:01 am[…] pink is a match of Tutu, from the discontinued Martha Stewart line for Valspar. I consulted this post on pink paint quite heavily. I like that the paint has some peachy undertones, so it’s not at […]
Lisa
June 11, 2012 at 10:59 amIn my search for the perfect pink for my soon-to-arrive little girl, I remembered this post and came back to it. Reverie Pink happens to be one of the swatches I picked up yesterday. I like it, but I’m hoping to find a pink that’s just a tad warmer, but not peachy. After revisiting this post, I’m hoping to find a swatch for Martha Stewart’s Tutu (Valspar) at Lowes this afternoon.
My husband does not want to paint her room pink, so I’ll probably just do an accent wall for now. I’m not sure why he thinks it’s okay for our son’s room to be blue, but it’s not okay for our baby girl’s room to be pink.
The pinks in your home are lovely!
Brandi
September 25, 2012 at 11:08 amThank you so much for this site Im moving and Im doing my daughters room a ballerina theme I wanted a pretty soft pink and I didnt know where to begin looking thank you so much:)
Jane
October 14, 2012 at 2:35 amHi
I’m pregnant with a baby girl, and she’s going to be born soon. I think Wild Aster is such a lovely colour, and I think I’ll paint the baby’s room pink. Thanks for sharing this colour with us, I’ve shared this with my husband and he thinks it’s a great idea. Thanks!
Juniper
March 11, 2013 at 1:44 pmI picked my first apartment partly because it was painted Bauhaus Buff by Sherwin Williams, a beige with a good amount of pink in it. It’s part of what I think of as “plausible deniability pink”. I don’t think my boyfriend ever thought of my apartment as pink, but I did (or, at least, did in some lights) and it made me happy. Now he’s my fiance, and he’s given tentative consent to a subtle but obviously peachy-pink laundry room in our first house.
Connie
April 8, 2013 at 1:07 pmThank you so much for these recommendations. Finding the perfect pink paint color is so overwhelming in the paint store. it is so nice to have a “pink expert” available to narrow down the choices. Wild Aster is going to look beautiful in my daughter’s “big girl” room.
Darcy
August 17, 2013 at 6:18 pmThank you for these ideas and photos. The lighting makes such a difference and choosing the right shade of “blush” as I refer to it has proved challenging for me. So I sought out some advice online and sure appreciate you sharing your experience and enthusiasm for this color!
I wanted to ask if you have a favorite trim color that goes well with your pinks that you really like and could recommend.
Thank you,
Darcy
cha
October 20, 2013 at 5:05 amI <3 Pink
Pink for Boys (Pink for All!) | Making it Lovely
January 22, 2014 at 3:05 pm[…] totally in my wheelhouse. First, up: paint colors, as requested! I put together a post years ago on picking perfect pink paint colors, and that’s a good place to start. The trick to choosing a color for a boy is to avoid baby […]
Lynn Morris
February 16, 2014 at 9:57 pmThank you so much for our pink advice! I have read hundreds (literally!) of pink blogs and paint articles and your is the absolute best. I am painting our master bedroom Dress Rehearsal by Behr after trying 11 other colors in our room. What do you recommend painting our master bath? The cabinets are white dove by benjamin moore and the shower tile is brown and tan mixed.
Again, thank you for sharing your passion and talent!
Best,
lynn
Aimèe Artigliere
October 30, 2015 at 4:32 pmLovely room!
A Big Girl Room | The Family Chapters
February 24, 2016 at 6:06 pm[…] (although I had it color-matched into a Behr High Gloss at The Home Depot) after I saw the color on Making it Lovely’s blog. I like that it is ever so slightly grey, and just not too crazy baby-pink. A spur of the moment […]
Pink! | House Designer dot TK
September 30, 2017 at 6:21 pm[…] Making It Lovely just did a great post on finding the perfect pink as well. […]