I Typically Hate Pastels, but This New Wave of Spring Decor Has Completely Changed My Mind

Frosted wine glasses and artful vases — I've finally found a stylish way to do pastels

A rotating GIF of four images showing pastel glassware and dinnerware arranged on different table settings.
(Image credit: Oliver Bonas, Mango Home, Westwing)
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Strong, I know, but I typically hate pastel colors. The soft, gentle aesthetic just doesn't go with the deep color schemes I'm more drawn to. However, that doesn't change the fact that pastels are the perfect seasonal color palette this time of year — they capture the bright, dewy glow of spring in a way no other colors can. So it's been my mission this year to find pastel decor that I can actually get behind.

And, honestly, it didn't take me long. I've come to realize that it's not the pastel color palette I dislike, but how it has been used in the past. While flat baby blue and pink cushions aren't my thing, the new wave of pastel glassware and tableware that's all over the latest homeware releases feels way more stylish and elevated. Think frosted, ombré wine glasses and butter-yellow milky glass.

Maybe it's the unique finishes, or maybe it's finally seeing pastels shine in contemporary designs, but suddenly I've become quite the fan of this peppy spring color palette.

A pastel pink table set iwth pink tableware and glassware in an olive green room.

Some of the pastel glassware in this collection from Mango Home even reads as more muted when set with deeper colors.

(Image credit: Mango Home)

Tableware, and especially glassware, is always more interesting when it breaks away from rigid, traditional shapes. I'm talking stubby wine glasses, fluted and scalloped edges, or pieces that almost double as art. Combine these kinds of unique designs with an elevated array of pastels, and you've got spring dinner table decor that feels right for 2026.

Colorful glassware also has a retro vibe that caters to the interior design trends we are seeing gain popularity at the moment. It's nostalgic, but still feels fresh. So whether you're shopping for a vase to be your spring table centerpiece, a new set of playful coupes, or a dinner plate or two, I've curated a list of pieces that give pastels a satisfyingly modern edge.

Pastels become so much more interesting when used in unique ways — which is what makes the color palette suddenly feel so right for 2026. Has this selection of table and glassware finally made a pastel-lover out of you? Next on the list is securing a few stylish floral plates (they exist, trust me, I've searched).

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Olivia Wolfe
Olivia Wolfe
Design Writer

Olivia Wolfe is a Design Writer at Livingetc. She recently graduated from University of the Arts London, London College of Communication with a Masters Degree in Arts and Lifestyle Journalism. In her previous experience, she has worked with multiple multimedia publications in both London and the United States covering a range of culture-related topics, with an expertise in art and design. At the weekends she can be found working on her oil paintings, reading, or antique shopping at one of London's many vintage markets.