Decorating with pastels

Pastels are back in style with a vengeance, and they're everywhere from floors and walls to hard furniture. Softer than white, pastels provide an interesting backdrop, allowing bolder colours to stand out, while giving energy to neutral furnishings. Endlessly adaptable, they harmonise well with dark and light shades, and are capable of both blending into the background and fighting their corner.

Think of the Neapolitan pastel-painted houses perched on the Amalfi coast, which blend happily with the sea, sky and earth, and bask in the warm glow of summer as well as the cool light of winter. Subtly bold, pastels offer some of the characteristics of bright colours, without insisting on their full impact. Easy on the eye, they are the ideal scheme for a calming, contemporary space. Even the boldest piece of furniture will fit with a pastel scheme. Just add a dash of neon for modern edge and an unexpected twist.

HELP COLOURS TO STAND OUT
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CREATE A SOFT BACKDROP
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USE PASTELS TO HIGHLIGHT SHAPE
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PAINT CHAIRS FOR INSTANT STYLE
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ADD SUBTLE PATTERN FOR INTEREST
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LAYER SOFT, RESTFUL SHADES
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