I persuaded my partner to let me paint our living room walls pink, and the result was transformative – it's the ultimate new neutral

As a millennial, I'm all too aware of the baggage that comes with the colour pink. In the space of 20 years, it went from a colour I avoided like the plague for being too 'girly' to suddenly being on everything from my favourite coffee shop cup to my kitchen pans. In my thirties, I was ready to leave pink behind, until I discovered its potential as the ultimate warming neutral for my living room walls.

When I moved into my Victorian flat conversion last year, the living room was painted light grey. It looked smart and elegant, but felt cold and unwelcoming. I wanted to recreate that glow you would see coming out of a cosy restaurant or pub window at night. Pink living room ideas were far from my mind as I flicked through yellow paint swatches, creamy whites, and even considered magnolia. However, I soon realised only one colour could give me that cosy warmth I craved: pink.

But it had to be the right pink. I didn't want a Greta Gerwig Barbie Pink; I was on the hunt for an earthy neutral that looked like a freshly plastered wall. The paint that hit the mark was Masquerade from Little Greene.

Image 1 of 2

Masquerade is a beautiful powder-hue pink with earthy undertones. I first spotted it in Zoe Ball's living room and kitchen, and I loved how it provided the perfect background to all her colourful belongings without being overwhelming.

As soon as the pink paint shade was on my living room walls, it felt like a completely different room. The living room felt warm and cosy. The plaster pink worked as a neutral that made any colour you put next to it feel richer and more sumptuous. Our moss green sofa looked more inviting, and the golden yellow rug more luxurious. Every time I walk into the room now, it feels like a warm hug that makes my shoulders drop.

'Often reserved for bedrooms, soft pinks are an inviting, charming colour to use in living spaces, they provide a warm, elegant atmosphere that’s perfect for relaxing or entertaining,' explains Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene. '‘Masquerade’ provides warmth to a space whilst remaining light and airy, making us feel uplifted and calm.'

How to choose a 'neutral' pink

While Masquerade was the pink I fell in love with, there are so many gorgeous pink shades that can act as a neutral in a living room (and beyond). Take Farrow & Ball's Dead Salmon, which shifts from a deep salmon pink to a lovely mushroom colour depending on the light, or Coat's Factor Fifty, a plaster pink that has developed a mini-cult following thanks to its versatility.

What all these colours, including Masquerade, have in common is the gorgeous earthy undertones that make them so versatile and effective as a warming neutral. 'The right shades of pink, with earthier, warmer undertones, provide a wonderful canvas on which to layer other colours. These shades don’t compete but offer real depth that a brighter, more classic neutral doesn’t,' explains John Law, Creative Director, Interiors at Woodhouse & Law.

'We usually opt for pinks with earthy, more beige undertones as they can help ground a space rather than brighter shades as these are strong colours in their own right,' John explains.

If you're still not convinced by the idea of pink as a neutral, you can dip your toe in by opting for a paler shade. For example, the paint colour I choose from Little Green comes in three shades, Masquerade, Masquerade - Mid and Masquerade - Light. The lighter variations are even more subtle shades of pink, and I was almost persuaded to go for the mid shade. However, the earthiness of the true colour won me over.

Standing in my newly painted living room, I'm still a little surprised I convinced my partner to paint our living room pink. However, as the afternoon sun hits the walls and brings out those warm red undertones, he'll be the first to tell you what a beautiful neutral colour it is.

Ditching my preconceived ideas of pink and going all in with an earthy pink in the largest room in my house is one of the best decisions I've made. If you're on the fence about pink, take the plunge, as I promise the finished result is worth it.

Other pink paints to try