Pastel Aesthetic: Your Guide to a Dreamy & Color-Filled Space
Pastels are the new bold.
Pastel shades are making such a comeback that there's a whole aesthetic devoted to it! Here's everything you need to know about this whimsical, colorful design trend and how to achieve it.
What Is the Pastel Aesthetic?
(Shop this image: blue bedding, round modern ottomans, abstract art, and sputnik chandeliers.)
Pastel interiors take the fun and vibrant elements of Y2K style (especially its love for pink) and soften them up, gathering inspiration from the more recent Danish pastel trend that took hold in 2020. The idea is to achieve a cozy, nostalgic feel by infusing your space with lots of dreamy colors, patterns, and quirky shapes.
How to Get the Look
This aesthetic is super easy to achieve with the right ingredients. Here's how to transition your space into a pastel paradise.
1. Start With White Walls & Scandi Furnishings
(Shop this image: blue wallpaper, Scandi dining tables, green dining chairs, and abstract art.)
The first step is to lighten and brighten your space to make way for pastel hues. Since pastels have more white undertones, white walls are the perfect foundation to complement pastel accent walls or artwork. To nod to the Danish pastel trend, opt for Scandi-inspired white- or light- wood pieces that feature clean lines, carved wood details, and minimalist designs. These furnishings resonate with pastel color palettes since they're also light and subtle.
Tip!
If you have dark-colored floors, you can easily brighten things up with a pastel area rug.
(Shop this image: glass candle holders, taper candles, blue glass vases, and polka dot wallpaper.)
Use decorative elements to introduce and play around with pastel shades in your space. We recommend starting with throw pillows, blankets, decorative vases, or area rugs that can be easily swapped in. Here are the main pastel colors that make up the aesthetic. It's up to you whether you stick to a couple or multiple pastel shades. However, the more you include, the more dynamic and whimsical it will be!
- Powder pink
- Pale blue
- Light sage/mint green
- Lilac purple
- Butter yellow
- Peachy orange
Tip!
Include each of the colors above to create a soft rainbow palette in your room.
3. Pair Pastel Pink & Blue for a Dreamy Escape
(Shop this image: pink sheets, blue gingham bedding, and pink clocks.)
Pink and blue color combos are extremely popular in pastel-style rooms since they represent sweet treats like cotton candy, cloud-filled pink sunsets, and nostalgic themes of childhood. We love how the use of pastel pink and blue shades work together to create a soothing bedscape. Extra points for playful gingham or checkered patterns.
(Shop this image: Henri Matisse wall art, mid-century modern vases, and abstract blue wallpaper.)
Artwork is so important to this aesthetic that it deserves its own section apart from decor. Pastel rooms are characterized by collage-style gallery walls made up of a variety of colorful scenes and symbols. These are some examples of artwork to include in a pastel-themed room to evoke feelings of calm, creativity, nostalgia, or dream-like wonder.
- Matisse art prints (pictured above)
- Abstract art in pastel shades
- Artwork featuring sweet treats like ice cream cones, popsicles, macarons, or candy
- Paintings of cloud-filled skies with pink and blue clouds
- Abstract floral prints
(Shop this image: Scandi dining tables, pink dining chairs, abstract candle holders, and novelty candles.)
Another key feature of this aesthetic is the use of curvy silhouettes and decorative elements. Specifically scalloped or wavy decor and furniture with either a retro or contemporary feel. These shapes add to the soft, light, and dream-like vibes in rooms with lots of pastel colors. These are a few ways to get started:
- Wavy candles and/or candle holders
- Cloud- or seashell-shaped decor
- Wavy or scalloped mirrors
- Scalloped picture frames
- Scalloped furnishings
- Scalloped or abstract curved rugs
- Curvy furniture with either mid-century or ultramodern influences
