Some will love it and others will be horrified – but the use of pastels in the 1980s has never quite left us! The bold and bright colours of the previous decades had been exchanged for what was seen as a more ‘grown up’ colour palette.
The days of free love had given way to parents whose young families required them to be more responsible and pursue a more subdued lifestyle. This ‘toning down’ was reflected in the 1980s home life and décor. Pretty pastel colours and a gentler approach to pattern was the answer for 1980s interior design methods and this look can be brought into modern homes too. You might want to eliminate some of the more gaudy aspects of 1980s décor but we can take a look at how to use those same pretty pastels in a contemporary space.
Pretty Pastels In Your Home:
- Pastels are a good alternative to white and have a softer edge to them. Using them together with neutral colours can give a room that little bit more interest. They are more versatile than you may think too – complementing vivid splashes of colour as well as dark and light tones in wood furnitures. You can use pastels in many ways, so have a think about whether you want them to simply blend in or act as a colour statement in their own right.
- In a living space you could try painting the walls in a pastel blue or pink and then use a harmonizing colour in a brighter tone such as vivid green for blue. Harmonizing colours are always the ones next to your chosen colour on the colour wheel. Bring the more vivid colours in with accessories such as cushions and throws or a piece of wall art.
- If using pastels in the dining room why not try a very contemporary twist? Update existing dining furniture by giving them a new paint in various pastel eggshell paints such as blue and pink. To add the contemporary twist you should paint one chair in a more punchy colour such as Crescent yellow.
- Pastels are a lovely approach to bedrooms that need a laid-back atmosphere. Choose duck egg blue bedding and for a slightly more chic look, choose fabrics that have a sheen to them. This will look good when matched with chrome accessories or a wrought iron bed painted white.
