Guest Picks: Modern Pastels for Spring
Sweet shades go chic when used on modern furnishings with sleek silhouettes
The spring 2012 runways were chock-full of pastel shades. It's no surprise that ice cream colors are making their way into home design too. However, pastels can be tricky to work with. Unless you're decorating a nursery or a silk-swathed formal sitting room, these colors may not be the obvious choice. But think again — this year's pastels are fresh, modern and quite mouthwatering.
— Lucy from Four Walls and a Roof
— Lucy from Four Walls and a Roof
Spark Lounge Chair with Seat Pad
One of my favorite looks in pastel is a piece of furniture that's the same shade from top to toe. This citron chair has a zing that's anything but drab.
Slim Round Cocktail Table, Ocean
You can see the monochrome effect here too. It's as if an ordinary table has been dipped in turquoise paint. I'm seriously considering this coffee table for my house.
Sea Jade Oak Cabinet
If you feel like mixing trends, you can't beat this cabinet by Lucy Turner. An upcycled, mixed materials piece featuring this season's pastels look, it certainly checks all the right boxes!
Stouby Chairs, Frost
This chair may be inspired by winter (the shape is reminiscent of snowdrifts that have been molded by the wind), but in this pale rose color it seems perfectly suited for spring.
Utility Stool
Another great look is mixing pastel shades with industrial forms and materials, such as with these powder-coated metal stools. They'd be so great against a dark gray kitchen bar.
Kartell | Victoria Ghost Chair, Set of 4
This chair takes a traditional shape and color and contrasts it with a modern material: rose-colored polycarbonate.
Kartell | Jolly Side Table
These little side tables are great for small spaces. Alternatively, a trio of them in Easter egg shades would be a fresh addition to a white living room.
Melamine 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set, Tonal Blue
Fashion's color blocking trend also works in the home. This set of mixing bowls in three satisfying shades of blue, from sky to cornflower, is so cute even I might be inspired to do some baking!
Bud Vase Set
I love this trio of ceramic bud vases in shades that fade from pumpkin to blush to orange blossom.
DWR Percale Sheet Set
Pastels can also be used to reinvent classic white pieces. Crisp sheets in pale aqua are much more interesting than white and just as inviting.
C 070
A classic, simple tufted sofa, takes a new lease on life in this gorgeous lilac. This particular pastel is often reserved for teenage girls' bedrooms, but I think it would look amazing in a loft space with industrial finishes.
Wegner Wishbone Colors Chair
Midcentury classics are also being introduced in new colors. This celery-colored version of the Wegner chair is a personal favorite.
Paymaster Check Writer By Joe Vintage
Pastels were used in many '50s appliances and, with the current midcentury trend, we're seeing countless yellow toasters, pink typewriters and even blue stoves. How about a pistachio check writer for a dash of vintage appeal?
Candice Olsen Market Place Geometric Parchment Hand Woven Wool Rug
I have always liked ethnic textiles in pastel shades. This Moroccan-inspired flat-weave rug is a good example. It would work in a traditional interior as well as a modern one.
Botany Sorbet Petal Pillow
Mixing pastels with darker shades, such as this chocolate brown, can give a pale scheme more punch. This pillow would look great on my mocha-colored sofa.
Stackable Jars
Ferm Living has a superb collection of pastel accessories that incorporate darker and more offbeat shades, such as these stacking jars in pink, blue and grayish teal.
Spear Bowl
Add in some mustard and caramel and you have a unique color palette that even Missoni would be proud of.
Plimpton Skinny Vase
Applying soft pastels to angular geometric patterns is another way to modernize this palette. I can't get enough of these vases and bowls. Just imagine them filled with spring flowers.
Middle Kingdom Detergent Bottle Collection
Inject a little humor into your home with these pastel vases in the shape of detergent bottles. Now that's a unique twist on a humdrum item.
Hibiscus In Pink And Green
I couldn't resist these adorable movable coasters. Made of felt in a range of shades from rose to aqua to coral, they look like slippers for your wine glasses. They will surely bring a smile to the faces of your guests.
Next: From the Runways Home: Pastels Spring Back
Next: From the Runways Home: Pastels Spring Back