Although pastels might not immediately come to mind when considering living room wall colors, they can actually be used quite effectively. Light wall colors such as pastels can be an especially good choice in a small living room, since they can make the room seem larger than it really is.
Although you might not want to paint your living room “baby boy blue” or “baby girl pink,” there are plenty of other pastel shades that can really shine as part of your decor. Here are some decorating tips you can use to add a beautiful touch of pastel to your living room.
Classic Pastels Add Fun to the Living Room
If you want to add a subtle retro look to your room, a pastel shade can be the perfect wall color choice. Pale green or light yellow can add a sunny bright look that will provide the perfect backdrop for fun retro furniture choices. Light blue walls can work well to add a soft country look, while pastel lavender will add a hint of romance.
Once you’ve selected a light pastel shade for the walls, you can choose darker shades of the same color for your decorating accessories and furniture pieces. Or, accessorize the room with coordinating or contrasting pastel shade. For example, a light green and pastel yellow pinstriped sofa could add the perfect coordinating look to a living room with light yellow walls.
New Twists on Classic Pastels
When using pastel colors in the room, it’s important to remember that there are plenty of pastel shades. Although you might immediately think of light yellow, green and blue, pastel shades also include pale apricot, light periwinkle and soft sage green. Pastel versions of today’s trendiest decorating colors can work perfectly when used for the living room walls.
For example, soft sage green walls can serve as the perfect backdrop for your deep sage green furniture pieces. Paint sample strips from your local decorating store can be quite useful when selecting these trendy pastel shades. Simply find a darker color on the paint strip that matches your furniture pieces, living room carpet, or decorating accent pieces. Then, choose the lightest pastel color on the strip for your wall paint.
“Barely There” Wall Colors
In addition to the more easily identifiable pastel colors, there are also many off-white shades that are actually “barely there” pastel shades. These off-white shades have just the slightest hint of color, which can provide attractive warm or cool undertones to the room. If you were to look at one of these paint colors in the can, you might actually mistake it for pure white. However, after it’s been applied to the living room walls, the slight color undertones will add the perfect decorator touch.
These “barely there” pastel-tinted white shades can work well in contemporary styled living rooms. For example, a cool white shade with subtle blue or green undertones can provide just enough color to perfectly accentuate the other colors used in the room. These colors are especially effective when used to reflect light, due to the fact that they are almost white. As such, they can be used to make a small living room seem more expansive. They are also a great choice if you prefer a minimalist decorating style.
