Pink is a fairly polarising colour; you tend to either love it or hate it. It’s also considered extremely girly. But this colour is sneaking its way out of the baby’s nursery. Subtle use of pink can bring warmth and rosiness to a room - like this retro kitchen setting that appears on the cover of our latest issue of habitat magazine, released last week. It has Resene Divine walls (pink blushed with lavender), a Resene Melting Moment shelf and Resene Reservoir table. Even the jar has been given a paint makeover in Resene Glamour Puss. 

Pink is a hugely varied colour, from palest rose, like, well, Resene Pale Rose, and nude blush, like Resene Sentimental, through bubble gum and crimson to screaming hot pink, like Resene Smitten. It also carries a wide spectrum of connotations: pale pink denotes purest girly prettiness, while hot pink simply shouts out gaudy and passionate. The in-between pinks are youthful and fun. In the Western world, this colour suggests feminine energy, romance and love. Used in moderation, pink is an uplifting colour. Used too much, of course, it becomes sickly.

If you team pink with lighter neutrals, you will achieve a softer, more romantic  vibe, while darker combinations can make pink appear more dramatic. Pale pinks are calming (some prison interiors are painted pink for this very reason), while deeper shades are more like red because they get the heart racing.

When light reflects off pink walls, it makes you look rosy and healthy – cheaper than a high-tech face cream! In fact, early-20th-century designers used to line lamp shades in pink silk to cast a pink glow and warm up a woman’s face, making her look younger.

Top tip

Painting a feature wall or a piece of furniture is a great way to embrace the colour. Cushions, wallpaper and rugs are another way to weave in the colour without going overboard. If you're still wary of committing to pink, start with flowers. Something as simple as a live arrangement is less likely to appear too girly or gaudy, and gives you a chance to decide if you like the colour in your home.

If you want to use pink but don’t want to overdo it, here are some good colour combos:

·         Pink and green go particularly well together, so try pale eggshell pink with pale apple green,

·         Candy pink and black or charcoal, or mid-pink and white,

·         Pink and gold for a luscious look,

·         Pink and turquoise for a Moroccan twist,

·         Pink and other warm shades like yellow and tangerine.

Debra Yearsley’s study is a no-holds-barred haven of Resene Smitten. Debra upcycles mid-century furniture as a job and a passion.  

Try pink’s darker cousin in the form of Resene Troubadour. This fireplace is part of an interior designed by Terry Hogg of Lick Light+Colour which features in our latest habitat magazine and which also recently won a Resene Total Colour Award. 

For an over-the-top girly bedroom, try this Komar Photomural, Gentle Rose, available on order through Resene ColorShops. 

The mid-pink tones of Resene Geraldine have been used to give this bathroom an enclosing feel by not only painting the walls but also the ceiling planes of this room. The clawfoot bath is also painted, with Resene Paua. 

This pretty girl’s bedroom uses a classic combination of soft pink and pale minty green with Resene Pot Pourri on the back wall and Resene Geneva on the side wall. 

When using a strong colour like this hot pink Resene Lipstick, other elements in black and white can create a very graphic effect which gives the scheme more strength and personality.

Rich magenta pink adds sophistication in this Jewel wallpaper by Vision, available at Resene ColorShops.

Pink is a colour found in many ethnic-based schemes like the cyclamen and violet tinged hues found in Moroccan ornamentation. Have a look at Resene Centre Stage and Resene Butterfly as well as the pink orange of Resene Rapture. All off the Resene The Range fashion colours 14.