Pretty in pink: Ten inspirational interiors that aren’t Barbiecore

If you were to conjure up the image of the quintessential Kiwi bach, chances are it would look something like this one in Point Wells.

The candy-coloured exterior paint job was what really made the bach feel like theirs. “The last owners painted it black, but it wasn’t in good repair. I was very keen to honour the ‘classic Kiwi bach’ look so we looked for the colours you might have seen in a beach settlement in the ’50s,” says Kirsten.

Going through the gold front door, you’ll know this house is bound to surprise.

“Our colour palette is pretty classic, mostly with white and timber furnishings,” says the homeowner. “But we love colour, so there are pops of colour throughout the home.”

The pink bathroom is one of two drenched in colour (the other is green, of course). With a white vanity and gold tapware, you couldn’t find a better place to rejuvenate after a surf at the beach.

This little pink caravan is a summertime dream. Creative Annabel Taylor, along with two of her friends, spent a year and a half completely transforming the caravan into a pink art deco paradise. The labour of love resulted in the dreamiest holiday home on wheels.

“The pink caravan was always going to be our girls’ gin palace and weekend getaway so a palette of pinks was important and it inspired her name, The Hot Flush,” says Annabel.

Curated maximalism and a bold use of vibrant colour are a feast for the eyes in this interior designer’s spacious family home in Auckland.

“I had considered a yellow kitchen because we previously had a yellow feature wall and curtains there. In the end, I chose Aalto’s Half Epiphany Pink, which is a soft, bright but muted beautiful pink. We paired it with one white wall to avoid it being too overpowering.”

These homeowners just can’t get enough of their kitchen. “At night, we sit and stare at the tiles over a cup of tea, they always look stunning.”

Moving into this weatherboard cottage that exuded charm and character, the couple soon realised the kitchen wasn’t going to work. It was outdated and lacked the functionality needed for a young family.

The new kitchen pairs pink-painted walls with green cabinetry and yellow finger tiles. Today, the kitchen pays homage to the original space through the details but performs for family living.

Chloe Brookman took the reins with the cosmetic elements of this home transformation. “I really wanted it to feel like a grown-up doll’s house,” she shares.

With the dusty pink and pale green combo, mixed with whimsical wallpapers, leadlight windows and daintily placed furniture, she has achieved exactly that. “What I love about it is that it feels like it’s always been this way. It doesn’t feel like someone has come and renovated it. It feels like a house you discovered that is 200 years old.”

A sunny abode inside and out, this is a house that speaks clearly of its owner’s love of colour and texture. Against the neutrality of white walls and floors, enticing shades come to the fore. There’s the pink ensuite, the mint bathroom, the blush staircase and the muted green joinery in the kitchen.

These homeowners wanted their guests to be surrounded by colour and texture the minute they stepped through the front door.

“Colour is my thing. Obviously. I chose muted colours because they are easy to live in and they help to create a mood, but they’re also subtle…Well, except for the pink kids’ hallway,” says the homeowner-interior designer.

The pink, in a high-gloss plum, is about having fun and joy. It’s uplifting but not too childish – the perfect choice.

These homeowners may not have reached for the can of paint with this delightfully pink home, but their cosy space is a perfectly pink example of how to include the hue without much of an investment.

They’ve used pink in numerous places and complemented it with bright and pastel hues that allow it to recede into the background yet create that sense of playfulness.

From a dusty rose sofa to pale pink bedding, artwork, decor and more, this home is a lesson in joyful colour combination.

“The main living area is a low light space, so I wanted to use colours like the pinks, ochres and browns to create warmth as well as complement the timber.”

Originally stark white, these new homeowners were eager to flood the spaces with colour to bring character to the house, but also to ensure it didn’t look like everyone else’s.

The kitchen island is wrapped in pink, mimicking the soft blush hue of the tiled splashback behind. Among the browns, greys and whites of the space, the colour is not too rich, but not too subtle. It ties in all the colours to create a tasteful palette.