We are living in a colourful era. From fashion to interior design, colour surrounds and encases our lives. All this wonderful colour can however seem a little bit like modern life, sometimes hectic and chaotic. If you prefer your world softer and more subtle, then the latest colour trend of 2012 is for you…Pastels!
  
Muted, understated and gentle on the eye, pastels are the perfect way to incorporate colour into your home in a subtle way that will create relaxing, soothing spaces to live, work and sleep in.  Pastel and sherbet tones are all part of a general shift towards 1950’s styling in the home. Think soft feminine colours, pretty traditional floras, polka-dots and stripes all shaken up with a little hint of kitsch and you will have the perfect look.
 
This new pastel trend has resulted in the major paint companies launching new ranges of pastel toned paints. With Whispers and Natural Hints ranges giving just a touch of soft pastel colour.

The most popular pastel tones for 2012 are set to be pale pinks, powder blues, soft lilacs and gentle greens. When decorating with pastels you can afford to be braver in your combination of colours as the tones are so light. You could, for example, combine pink and blue walls or pink and green in bedding and made to measure curtains. So don’t be afraid to be a little more daring.

This pastel colour trend is ideal for bedrooms, as it creates a very relaxing environment after your long day at work. For a quick update simply change bedding to a floral patterned pastel duvet set or introduce a pastel curtain fabric in a neutral coloured room.

However, be careful when using pastels and sherbet colours, as just like their sweet counter parts, they can become sickly in large amounts. Always balance them with neutrals such as white or cream; as well as adding strong accents to anchor the scheme.

So indulge your home in some soothing colour this spring/summer, and take a step back in time to a more relaxing era with pastels.