Pink Rugs

The pink rug has long since escaped the "little girl's bedroom" cliché to become one of the leading colours in contemporary interiors. The modern shades (dusty, blush, antique rose, pink terracotta) bring a sophisticated softness that today's homes are actively looking for. Far from childish, these pinks create calming rooms, feminine without being twee, and entirely at home in a grown-up scheme.

Pink shades, and where to use them

This family is richer than you might think:

• Dusty pink / blush: a very pale, soft pink, almost a neutral. The most current and the most versatile
• Antique rose: a greyed pink, vintage and sophisticated
• Nude pink: close to a pinkish beige, about as neutral as pink gets
• Terracotta pink: a pink leaning orange, very warm
• Salmon pink: a soft orange-pink
• Fuchsia / magenta: saturated and assertive (use sparingly)
• Millennial pink: a slightly warmer dusty pink, the star colour of the 2010s

For a first purchase, start with dusty pink or antique rose: timeless and easy to live with.

What to pair a pink rug with

Pink sits remarkably well with:

• Pink with anthracite grey: the star pairing of soft modern interiors
• Pink with white and pale wood: Scandinavian softness
• Pink with black: a chic contemporary contrast
• Pink with sage green or emerald: a botanical look that is everywhere
• Dusty pink with brass or copper: soft Art Deco
• Blush pink with chocolate brown: sophisticated cocooning
• Pink with navy: a classic brought up to date

Which room?

In the right shades, pink is genuinely versatile. In a bedroom, it creates a calm, cocooning atmosphere, and looks particularly lovely in dusty pink shaggy. In a living room, a plain or textured dusty pink adds a soft contemporary note to a neutral scheme. In a child's bedroom, it remains a safe bet. In a teenager's or a grown-up's bedroom, a faded pink vintage rug is a beautiful choice.

Does pink always read as a little girl's bedroom?

That is the cliché worth leaving behind. Sophisticated dusty pink (not saturated bubblegum) is nothing of the sort: it turns up constantly in boutique hotels, luxury shops and the most contemporary design interiors. The key is picking the right shade (dusty, antique rose, blush) and pairing it with grown-up furniture. A faded pink vintage rug in a living room with an anthracite grey sofa, brass and plants is thoroughly sophisticated.