In the age of gender neutrality and equal opportunity, spare a thought for the over feminised colour pink. It was always pink for a girl’s bedroom and any grown up room with males likely to be spending time in them would be banned from even suggesting a touch of the pink. This is a totally limiting attitude to take with this most versatile and forgiving shades in the colour palette.

As an exterior paint it has long been associated with Suffolk and many lovely properties in this county are proudly painted Suffolk Pink. Properties ranging from little cottages to moated halls and boutique hotels are decorated in this dyed lime wash throughout the countryside.

In historic houses, strong pink has been much used to show off the paintings and collections to best advantage. A good example of this is Beaulieu in the New Forest. The paintings are hung against a deep pink with a complementary dark pink oriental carpet sporting many shades of pink.

In the normal domestic setting, there are many shades of pink to choose from to suit any room, from a pale blush to a deep cerise. One of the most subtle and flexible pinks is Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster. This brown pink will bring warmth and depth to your walls, especially when teamed with the right ceiling and wood work colour. I would suggest using an off white such as Pointing, again by Farrow and Ball, to offset this pink to make it flow better. If you want to go dramatic, Benjamin Moore’s Paradise Pink is a strong statement that would work well in a dining room or study. This colour can be dressed with a beautiful French style gold mirror to add glamour at night. Dark antiqued furniture would sit well in this colour scheme as anything too white would look harsh and tacky. Light and dark shades are complimented by the more yellowy pinks leaning towards a coral tone. Here look at the colour chart of Paint and Paper Library and try Shrimp. It’s as chirpy as its namesake bringing humour light and charm to any living space.

The colour of the year 2019 was pink and for good reason as this colour is bright and cheerful, bold and sophisticated. Move away from the Pepper Pig in the girlie bedroom and try some smart shades of pink in every room in your house.