fashion

Recent New York Fashion Week news included more than a few predictions that pink will be VERY chic come spring, largely based on Carolina Herrera’s collection of pretty-in-pink designs (right).

So why not get the jump on the fashionistas and incorporate season-suitable shades of pink into your boho home décor for fall? It could be what keeps you going through a long-dreary winter of slippery streets, subzero temps and short days.

First let’s clear the air.

I confess to a love-hate relationship with pink, so I get it if you don’t immediately want to jump on the bubblegum bandwagon. When we moved into our condo a few years back, EVERYTHING was pink, circa 1985. Mauve, to be exact—a sort of sandy, fleshy, indistinct pink that reminded me of chewed-up, spit-out and tramped-on gum.

We had…

· Mauve carpet throughout—kitchen and baths included
· Mauve tile at the two entrances
· A brighter pink figured tile in the guest bath
· A paler-than-mauve-but-still-pink tile in the master bath
· Mauve cultured marble counters in all baths
· Pale pink toilets
· A pale pink bathtub
· Pink draperies in all rooms
· Pickled-oak bathroom cabinetry with a pink undertone

We still have most of the bathroom pinks, though we got rid of the carpet and toilets. We replaced the HVAC, windows, ALL flooring, appliances and light fixtures. We hope to wipe out the rest of the cemented-and-nailed-down pink as soon as our finances catch up, so the remaining pink and I have called a truce for the time being.

And honestly, it’s not so bad now. Turning down the volume made a huge difference, as well as turning up the adjacent hue where we were still stuck with mucky mauve.

I may even be ready to add some pink back into our design mix. Here are four sumptuous interiors I could live with year-round because of how they capture’s pink’s around-the-clock moods in just the right saturation and hue for fall.

1. Rosy midnights

Martha Stewart Living

Who says I couldn’t learn to love drama? Any shade of pink paired with grays and/or black stirs the pot in a tantalizing way. Have a gray sofa? Then your living room can take on any colorway with just a change-out of accessories. But who would want to lose this good-for-the-complexion shade? I love the artwork, as well as how the textured white lamp and its black shade pop against the rose wallpaper.

2. Salmon-hued dawns

Found on Pallet Furniture Plans

Another gray sofa sends this shabby-chic parlor off to a shimmering start. The geometrics in the throw pills add energy to the arrangement and provide a fun contrast to the fussy style of the settee. I like how a few of the books on the tray pick up the same pinky-dawn color in those pillows. And how ‘bout that teeny typewriter. I soooo want one! The backdrop for the wall photos is a recycle pallet, and the coffee table is a repurposed industrial cart. Learn more here.

3. Paris pink mornings

Found on Paris Nights and New York Lights

November gray skies or October sun, this room has what it takes to jolt my day into a java-induced heaven. And I’m not just talking about the coffee sign. Everything here says Paris down to the sweet, coco-colored miniature French poodle. Of course, the association of pink and black with Paris is all in our muddled western heads—an addled leftover from the Bell Epoque era that no one in France gets. But who cares? I like it!

4. Berry-licious afternoons

Bathrooms & More Store

That chair and ottoman are calling out to me and the stash of unread e-books in my tablet. Anything Jane Austenish will do as long as it comes with a cup of tea to carry me over afternoon’s drowsy-time hump. The fuzzy pink plaid throw repurposed as a dresser scarf and puddled onto the floor is a yummy touch. I also love the different greens in the dresser versus the lamp, both drawn from the wallpaper. If you’re not a wallpaper fan (me neither), transfer the print to the chair and accessorize from there.

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