Millennial Pink Makes Us Wink in 2017

That’s hot… move over Paris Hilton! From 18th Century Rococo-era Paintings, to Rihanna’s SS17 Fenty Puma Collection, there seems to be one colour that’s set to dominate 2017.

Named Millennial Pink due to its popularity amongst millennials and rise to fame on Instagram & Tumblr, this shade transcends fashion, art, design and of course interiors. Best described as a dusky shade of rose quartz, it can also be beige or salmon toned.

So, where did it come from, who did it first and how is it permeating its way into the world of interiors?

1767 was maybe the first incarnation of this dreamy shade.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard debuts his latest masterpiece – The Swing. Now housed in the Wallace Collection in London, little did Fragonard know his work would inspire millennial designers with his use of pink in the subject’s dress.

Taking a jump to the 20th Century now, the 1950s saw an influx of pink bathrooms and there’s a little known reason why… the pink hues of the bathroom suites used to have an almost ‘botox’ effect – giving your face and skin a healthy looking complexion. These started, sadly, to get ripped out in the 1970s in lieu of the avocado bathroom, which as we all know is starting to make a comeback too, but not to the extent of the pink.

Cut to today and everyone’s favourite Bajan Princess Rihanna’s Fenty collection with Puma made waves in the fashion world. From creepers to lace tops inspired by Marie Antoinette, Millennial pink was the core hue of this collection.

However, it’s not just the girls that are getting in on the pink action – the gender-fluid movement of the past couple of years and the rise of androgynous fashion has ensured pink has a place in the men’s wardrobe too. There’s a lot of guys out there to whom the idea of wearing pink is still scary, yet there are other ways to wear it than preppy pink chinos. Designers have been adding touches of the colour to all kinds of clothing and accessories, making wearing it an easy way to look confident and cool.

Shoot from an April issue of the Guardian Weekend / Styling: Helen Seamons, Photography: Paul Farrell

But how, we hear you cry,
does this fit into the interiors world?

If you’ve not seen Le Refuge from Milan Design Week, we’d be inclined to think you’d been living under a rock. Maybe the most Instagrammed piece from the event, it incorporated hand-crafted palm leaves in a dusky pink tone, arching over a plump-looking bed frame which some of our design friends couldn’t resist laying out on…

If you’re looking to be tickled pink a little closer to home then Sketch London has exactly what you need. The Gallery restaurant is one of the most snapped places in the Capital and we can see why.

If you want to bring this trend into your home without having to make space for a one-of-a-kind daybed then here are our best in show for 2017:

Remember when we spoke about how fashion is permeating into interiors? We’re going back to Milan right now with Diesel living and its stunning Pretty Vacancy collection that had its debut at the Design Week. Pink hues hark back to a 1970s motel in the middle of the Arizona desert, making the home a haven from the heat outside with its injection of retro glam. Reminiscent of Sketch’s Gallery as seen above, pink velvets take centre stage in this collection making it bang on trend with what we’ve seen before. The full Diesel Living collection is designed with an injection of the unexpected for the high life.

Looking for somewhere to park your bum? Made.com has just the ticket with a sofa that ticks all the boxes when it comes to Millennial Pink. The Gracie sofa and armchair collection is the perfect blend of classic lines, brought up-to-date with the scandi legs and, of course, the on-trend colour – which Made.com call Salmon Pink.

We love how the Made.com team has styled the look with grey, yellow and black tones – showing how versatile the shade is.

Now how about the bedroom? Luckily, A by Amara – the home brand of our friends at Amara has you covered.

We love this Dee duvet cover, which is a fantastic muted take on Millennial Pink. It comes in 100% cotton and a 300 thread count so you’re guaranteed a good night’s sleep. Mix the look up with contrasting greys or create a tonal look with a slightly deeper pink with cushions and a throw. We could just jump right in…

Earlier we spoke about those fantastic pastel-pink bathrooms of the 1950s, so why not treat yourself to some ‘retro botox’ with a lick of paint in the bathroom. Here we’ve got the fabulous La Provence bath by Catchpole & Rye in a playful yellow being flanked by a fantastic pink wall. We’ve had a poke around and if this look speaks to you, then try out Cupcake by Earthbourn Paints for a shade that’s similar to this.

So why is this Millennial Pink so popular? We put it down to it giving you that perfect glow.

Have you seen any Millennial pink finds that you think we should have highlighted? Let us us know in the comments below or give us a shout on Twitter – we’ll be tickled pink to hear from you!

David & Mark x