A few weeks back I went to see a new client for a color consult. She was a lovely woman and she met me at the door wearing white pants, a pink top, pink jewelry, and pink flip flops.  She had called me to help her match a soft white that she currently had on her living room walls. She had moved in a few years earlier and felt the white was “fine” but wanted to repaint it to freshen it up.  It was one of those days when I didn’t have my camera with me so I’m sorry I have no photos. After touring her home I noticed there were hits of pink everywhere. Her accessories, her pillows, and a lot her art work all had varying shades of pink.

Her living room sofa was brown, her carpet was brown, white, pink and green and this fabric  is very similar to the fabric that covered her two living room chairs.

Waverly Penny Stripe in Watermellon

We stared talking about color and she said her absolute favorite color in the whole world was pink  (I kind of already suspected that). When I asked if she might be open to looking at some pink hues for her living room walls rather than white, she looked at me like I had two heads and said ” pink on the living room  walls?  I never heard of anyone painting their living room pink”…and lastly, my favorite…”what will people think?”

I assumed by her reference to  ”people”,  she meant those frightening “Decorating Police”…you know, the ones who arrive unexpectedly and walk through your home with clip boards, slowly shaking their heads and criticizing your decorating decisions. They must say things like, “pink walls in the living room… minus ten points”.  ”No pillows on your bed..minus 25 points”….”no window treatments in the dinning room…minus 50 points”! The Decorating Police must be very scary because I visit so many homes where the owner is  hesitant to decorate according to their own personal style and personalities.  I think fear of the Decorating Police must be why so many people defer to a home furnishing store like Pottery Barn or West Elm. They simply order everything from one store and call it a day. The problem is, your finished room looks just like a Pottery Barn or a West Elm. It doesn’t look like you. Now I have nothing against either of these stores, in fact I shop them both a lot. I am just pointing out that it is important to put a little of yourself in the room as well.

If you want to use your formal dinning room as an office because you never have formal dinners..use it as an office.

Dinning Room Turned Office

If you want to paint Gamma’s old Mahogany dresser pink, go fot it!

And PLEASE, if you want to paint your Living Room pink…I for one, think it will be beautiful.

Stephen Shubel Design

If you would like some help choosing pink walls…or quieting the fear of the Decorating Police, give me a call.