Fixer To Fabulous Shows Us Easy Ways To Add Sophisticated Pops Of Pink To A Space

Jenny Marrs, the design mind behind HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous," loves to create spaces with sophisticated color palettes, which usually include lovely pops of color to brighten an array of neutrals. In Season 2, Episode 13, Marrs works with the daughter of a previous client to transform an 1880s house in disrepair into an adorable modern cottage. The homeowner requested her favorite hue, pink, for the walls and exterior, meaning Marrs had to come up with a game plan for including these feminine tones in an elegant and balanced way.

Pink is known for its warm, inviting, and flattering vibes, making it a playful yet attractive option for both interiors and exteriors. However, since it can easily become overwhelmingly feminine when used too frequently or in too bold of a hue (like the epic Barbiecore trend), Marrs was careful to choose a more subtle and historic shade to make the pink feel less Malibu Barbie and more Cottagecore. By color-drenching the space in muted tones, adding fun pops of slightly brighter color, and incorporating plenty of contrast with layered neutrals, Marrs created an elevated look with plenty of pink to please her client. Take a page out of Marrs' book and focus not only on adding in fun pink hues but also on balancing those elements with the surrounding environment for a truly elevated look that is easy to achieve in any home.

The easiest way to completely and quickly transform a space is with a coat of paint, so Jenny Marrs created the foundation for the cottage's color palette by choosing the perfect shade of pink. Marrs selected muted hues that were closer to beige or nude so that they read as more of a soft, warm neutral rather than overly pink. She chose Farrow and Ball's Setting Plaster for both the exterior siding color and all interior walls except the bedroom. This historic pink beige paint tone has plenty of yellow in the mix (rather than a more red pink that leans toward baby pink) that was created to look like a freshly plastered wall.

In addition to choosing the ideal hue for the charming style and historic character of the cottage, Marrs opted to color drench the entire home in the same shade, varying only slightly in the bedroom for a color that reads a hair more true pink. This effect, which included all walls, wainscoting, and some built-ins, helped set a stunning, warm, and welcoming foundation for the rest of the color palette, and kept the small space feeling light and airy (and therefore larger).

After she laid the lovely pink beige foundation, Jenny Marrs offset the walls' subtle hues with more saturated pops of pink. She added in a fantastic, salmon-colored sofa (again with yellow undertones to avoid looking too cutesy) and dusty pink drapery, both in a gorgeous velvet to add richness and vibrancy. In addition to the fun fabric accents, Marrs incorporated pink decor to carry the motif throughout, such as with books, bedding, and florals. She also worked pink tones into much of the artwork throughout the space. Textiles, accessories, and artwork are all easy additions to any space for that fun pop of pink.

To keep things feeling balanced and upscale, Marrs completed the color palette with plenty of layered neutrals and contrast. Throughout every room, she added light, airy neutrals in a variety of textures to create a cozy atmosphere. Marrs used natural wood tones to bring a grounded, warm, earthy vibe. Finally, and most importantly, she introduced plenty of contrast in each space for a bit of masculinity to avoid the pops of pink from leaning overwhelmingly feminine, such as dark green cabinetry (and front door), black metal accents, and a dark floral wallpaper on the bedroom ceiling. Marrs created a dynamic palette that both showcased pops of fun pink while also ensuring they felt sophisticated rather than childish, elevating her pink interior into a gorgeous, welcoming, and very charming modern cottage.