Sorry, green, this is the colour all the most stylish homes are pairing with pink this summer and beyond
This tonal pairing is a classic look in the making
Over the last few years, green and pink have been the ultimate playful trending colour pairing. The contrasting colour scheme was everywhere (I've even adopted it in my own home). While this colour combo will always look good, if you're looking for a more trend-led colour combo, this year it's all about pink and red. This trending colour combo has been the breakout trend of 2026, and I'm confident it will continue into 2027.
Pink and red have both undergone a renaissance in the last year, emerging as two of the biggest colour trends of 2026. However, it's the bold and playful pairing of the two shades that is taking off in a big way this summer.
Pink and red are a colour combination I'd have grimaced at a few years ago, with bad memories of bright pinks and reds paired together in the 90s and early noughties. But, all it took to change my mind was a trip to the Instagram-famous Margate House to see their new pink and red colour palette created with COAT Paint. The combination of muted plaster pinks, raspberry pink and deep, rich reds was a masterclass in how these tonal shades could be used to create a scheme that feels fresh, stylish and comforting.
'Pairing pink and red can feel like a bold, even perhaps risky choice. But the combination of pink and red works surprisingly well together when the balance is right. Since both colours belong to the same family, the key is to make the pairing feel intentional,' explains Rob Abrahams, founder of COAT.
Little Greene's Creative Director Ruth Mottershead adds that the pink and red colour combination trend is the perfect way to add more joy and personality to a room. 'There remains a strong appetite for colours that spark happiness and joy, and this combination will do just that,' she explains. 'Even a small touch of this joyful colour pairing can introduce personality and positivity to a room.'
How to pair pink and red paint
Like Rob said, the secret to making this trending colour combo right is getting the balance of the red and pink right. 'We’re seeing softer, chalkier pinks paired with richer, earthier reds. This works especially well because they create contrast without overwhelming a space,' he explains.
If you want to choose a foolproof red and pink colour combination that will age well, Rob recommends opting for muted or earthy colour variations that you can balance with classic neutrals.
If you think of pink as a neutral and your red as the statement colour, it will make working out how to pair them together much easier. In fact, Ruth from Little Greene sees this combination trend as a natural evolution of the 'unexpected red theory' trend, which is all about not being scared to include bold pops of red on a wall or through a cushion or table lamp.
'The rise of the 'unexpected red theory' has encouraged a more playful use of red, adding pops of red in accessories, furniture or on walls. Pairing red with pink is a playful and energetic approach to incorporating a true red. As a lighter shade, pink shares a sense of warmth with red, creating both contrast and tonal harmony,' she explains.
For a joyful scheme, Ruth recommends pairing a primary red with a soft pink. 'Powerful Atomic Red will create real impact when paired with softer romantic pink such as Confetti,' she says.
For a softer and more luxurious look, she recommends a deeper red combined with a muted pink. 'Consider deeper red, such as burgundy or aubergine, combined with more muted paler pinks. Their higher contrast combinations, such as deep red Arras with plaster-like Castell Pink or sumptuous Adventurer with restful Dorchester Pink, will exude warmth, sophistication and a sense of luxury,' Ruth adds.
How to use pink and red in a room
'One of the easiest ways to pair these two colours confidently is to let one shade take the lead while the other acts as an accent. For example, a muted plaster pink, such as our Dirty Sherbert, with a deeper red, such as our Wilderness Hill. Both are part of our COAT x Margate House collection,' explains Rob.
This could be as simple as covering the wall in pink and using the red to pick out architectural features, such as a window reveal, a skirting board or even an ensuite bathroom, to create a peek-a-boo colour effect. Ideal Home's Editor-in-Chief, Heather Young, used a similar approach when adopting the colour trend in her home office. She used Little Greene's Masquerade - Mid, a subtle plaster pink, on the walls and Arras, a deep red paint, on the built-in shelves to create a dramatic backdrop behind her desk.
Alternatively, Paula Taylor, stylist at Graham & Brown, says, 'colour capping is the perfect way to pair red and pink together. It creates a tonal escalation within the same colour family and offers a subtle evolution from full colour-drenching.'
However, if you're feeling really brave, why not flip the script and use the red as your main colour and a gorgeous raspberry pink as the accent colour in the artwork and upholstery?
Paint is not the only way to add this colour pairing to your home. Upholstery, curtains and table lamps are a brilliant way to add a shot of red or pink, and a subtler way to test out this colour trend.
I recently painted my living room in a plaster pink, and I have dotted a few red items around the room, including a footstool, photo frame and a cushion to brighten up the space and make the pink feel fresher and more modern.
Items such as the glossy cherry red Addison Ross Bobbin Lamp or Next's red wavy pine mirror are ideal for adding a shot of colour into a pink room and dabbling in the trend. Here are a few other pieces that will add this colour combo to your home without committing to a repaint.
Get the look
Don't be scared to dive straight in with the paint as this is a colour combo the paint experts are confident will stick around. 'Ultimately, the appeal of pink and red lies in the warmth and richness they bring to a home, and that’s something we don’t see disappearing anytime soon,' says Rob at COAT Paint.
Will you be adding this joyful pairing somewhere in your home?
