"Salmon" pink is the cozy, rosy color of the moment, say designers – here's what to pair with it for a brilliant room scheme

Aditi Sharma Maheshwari
·4 min read
A kitchen with salmon pink walls and a beige lighting piece.
A kitchen with salmon pink walls and a beige lighting piece.

Whether you call it an earthy pink, a warm pink, or indeed a salmon, this shade of pink is becoming a go-to for designers looking for something a bit warmer than a classic millennial pink.

This tone has an inherent tranquillity to it, and pairs especially well with other grounded hues - picking the right colors that go with salmon pink can help create a warm, soothing, and embracing interior

Take a look at these winning colors that go with pink, suggested by top designers, to inspire a new way to use salmon to decorate your home.

1. Dark grey

A gallery with salmon pink floor and grey cabinets
A gallery with salmon pink floor and grey cabinets

Salmon works as a color that goes with dark grey specifically, especially if you're looking to take this pink hue in a bolder direction. Dark grey is less harsh than black, and packs more interest than a lighter grey.

'Pink, especially in its pastel tones, can combine with darker colors very well,' says Amy Krane, architectural color consultant and founder of Amy Krane Color. 'Both mid-toned and darker colors work well with pink and make for very lovely combinations.' It's versatile and easy to use, and in this kitchen by architect Sophie Dries, it's a strong, daring combination.

'Small, narrow rooms are more comfortable in darker colors than white that tries to make the room wider,' Sophie tells us. 'This kitchen painted from floor to ceiling in pink, contrasts well with graphite grey valchromat cabinetry, creating an impactful yet cozy interior.'

2. Gold

A space with salmon pink walls and a gold lighting fixture
A space with salmon pink walls and a gold lighting fixture

There's a reason why salmon pink works even better with brass accents than millennial pink. Yes, while this light blush shade is undoubtedly a color that goes with gold, salmon is that little bit warmer, meaning that gold tones blend in, and become less of a contrast, and more of a soft, cohesive touch.

'Use unlacquered brass as an accent to a pink interior as it feels romantic, classically French, and just timeless,' agrees Lucie Ayres, founder and principal designer at 22 Interiors.

3. Light blue

A kitchen with pink and blue walls
A kitchen with pink and blue walls

Salmon pink makes for an eye-catching combination as a color that goes with light blue, and as this colorful kitchen proves, it can feel really contemporary and playful.

'The color contrasts of the ceiling add an element of warmth and comfort,' say Aureli Mora and Omar Ornaque, founders of AMOO. 'This tone extends to the polygonal volume of the bathroom, softening its edges and contrasting it with a bluish tone that emerges inside and extends to specific points. Metallic elements contrast and nuance the almost milky and warm atmosphere of the house.'

4. Black

A bedroom with salmon pink bedding and a black stool
A bedroom with salmon pink bedding and a black stool

While, yes, pretty much every color is a color that goes with black, it works particularly well with salmon pink as a way to make it feel more modern, and more grown up.

In this bedroom, black gives an edge to a more sugary pink shade. 'Our client asked us to design a headboard desk for the bedroom of one of her daughters,' says Carlos Tomás, founder of Estudio Recente. 'The soft-pink color was somehow already decided. We think the color itself is wonderful, but we don't believe in the duality of masculine and feminine interiors according to the color palette. So, somehow, we tried to offset the powdered pink with a much more burnt version of pink, through the duvet cover.'

'We also used black in the furniture and light fixtures to emphasize this contrast,' Carlos adds. 'All of these elements stand out over the neutral base of the walls (light grey), ceiling, and floor, which is common to the rest of the house.'

5. Beige

A kitchen with salmon pink walls and a beige lighting piece
A kitchen with salmon pink walls and a beige lighting piece

Salmon is a variation of pink that feels earthy and natural, so it's no surprise it works as a color that goes with beige. With beiges, it offers a softer contrast, and in shades like plaster pink, as seen in this contemporary kitchen, the combination creates a soft, bohemian feel.

'Natural finishes, such as stone, wood, and chukum, as well as large overhangs and the connection of interior spaces with patios and terraces, tropicalize this project,' says Jesus G Acosta Martinez, founder of Jaque Studio. 'For this kitchen island in polished cement, we used pink pigmented walls, with a beige lighting piece.'

3 paint colors to pair with salmon pink

Lulworth Blue

Type: Water-based paint
Price: $92 for 2.5 liters

Grey 10 Matt

Type: Water-based paint
Price: $70 for 3.7 liters

After Hours

Type: Acrylic paint
Price: $75 for 3.7 liters