Required Reading: Pretty Pastel Style

“Hear the word ‘pastel’ and you may instantly imagine the sugary pink of a little girl’s bedroom or the cheerful, springtime shades found on retro floral fabrics. Today, these saccharine visions are only part of the story, because pastels are enjoying an exciting, dynamic revival,” writes Selina Lake in her new book, Pretty Pastel Style. 

A London-based interiors stylist, Lake is a veteran when it comes to publishing–Pretty Pastel Style, a 160-page ode pastels with personality, is her fourth design book. It’s divided into chapters devoted to modern, retro (think fifties shades), and vintage pastels; we particularly like the last section, which presents simple pastels in white rooms with a minimal but elegant look. Here are some examples:

Photography by Catherine Gratwicke.

Above: A relaxed paneled living room with slipcovered furniture. The doorframe is lined with a fringed trim for a soft vintage touch. A Koushi Lamp by Mark Eden Schooley hangs from the ceiling. Intrigued? The design inspired Alexa to made her own DIY Koushi Lamp. 

Above: A farm-inspired kitchen with white-painted paneling, barn-style lighting, a porcelain farm sink, and butcher block countertop. Have a look at more modern farm kitchens in our photo gallery.

Above: Mismatched chairs are unified by coats of white paint in this cooly white dining room bottles brightened with glass bottles used as vases and a gold-fringed vintage-style ceiling shade.

Above: A cocoon-like living room (even the wall clock is white) is furnished with a colorful ensemble, including pastel Windsor chairs and a modern sofa covered with a floral throw. See 10 Easy Pieces: The Windsor Chair Revisited for more Windsor inspiration. 

Above: Another bright Windsor chair stands next to a vintage upright piano stacked with Tivoli radios. In the Remodelista book, we singled out the Tivoli radio in the Remodelista 100, our chapter devoted to favorite everyday objects.

Above: An all-white living room set off by touches of pink–two Windsor chairs painted in different pale hues, hot pink pillows and artwork, and light-pink blankets. Like the wingback chair? Check out 10 Easy Pieces: The Wingback in Back

Above: Pretty Pastel Style by Selina Lake, with photography by Catherine Gratwicke and writing by Joanna Simmons, is published by Ryland Peters & Small; it’s available on Amazon for $22.18. For more by Lake, have a look at her blog.

We’re celebrating pale colors all week; go to Shades of Pastels to see what we’ve covered so far. More books that we love? Have a look at Required Reading on Remodelista, and Required Reading on Gardenista, too–have you seen The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers?