Style: THE POWER OF PINK

Pink, once the preserve of nurseries and little girls, has finally grown
up.

Hot pink and fuchsia were star shades on fashion's catwalks this summer,
and now the stylish have decided that if the colour's good enough to
wear, it's good enough to live with.

It's a wise move. Punchy pinks are brilliant for giving rooms a shot of
energising colour, and you can either go wild by splashing pink on walls
or paintwork, or flirt with the shade by using it for accessories.

Or why not pull some pink surprises by using the colour in quirky ways?
Designer Ella Doran suggests painting floorboards in a "cheerful summery
shade" like candy pink to "lift an entire room and everything in it".

While David Oliver, design director of Paint & Paper Library, has
another clever tip: "Use shocking pink on the inside of cupboards to
cheer up a neutral scheme and enliven a normally dull space."

Colour novices needn' t be intimidated by pink. It's easy to handle once
you know how. Louise Smith, colour manager for Dulux, reveals that pink
has recently pushed its way back into the top 10 chart of favourite room
shades.

"Pinks can be bright and zingy, shocking, blushing or pretty and
feminine. There are no 'rules', and if you feel like using bold pinks
everywhere, then go for it."

So put paid to the summertime blues by picking out pink - it's the
hottest colour around. But use pink power wisely by picking a style and
a shade to suit your taste and your rooms.

HIGH DRAMA: Design-conscious divas will love the strong bold shades of
pink, and these work well in a living room, dining room, or playroom.

Louise Smith, colour manager for Dulux, says: "Do be aware though that
these shades can be over-stimulating, so use with caution in nurseries
or bedrooms.

"But if you love bright pink why not use it on on e wall in a living area
as a focal point, on a mantelpiece wall or on a bedhead wall in a
bedroom. Then balance the strong effect with more neutral colour for the
other walls - so you still get a vibrant splash but a more grown up
overall look."

Her recommendation is Raspberry Diva from Dulux's Feature Walls range
combined with Gentle Fawn.

GET THE LOOK: Don't pull your punches - prove your commitment to pink by
decorating with designer Julien MacDonald's glorious Glamorous Pink
wallpaper for Graham & Brown. It's £16.99 a roll from Debenhams.

Make a pink statement with a plush pink sofa. There's a great selection
around, especially Sofa Workshop's Charlie sofa, with its hot pink
washable loose cover, from £594. Graham & Green's opulent Dream sofa is
upholstered in rich pink velvet, and costs £1,450.

Add a funky touch to a dining room with Habitat's bright fuchsia Verdi
wooden chairs, £69 each, which would look brilliant paired with a glass,
perspex or white table.

Turn up the heat with a pink outdoors or indoors Ball chair made in
durable polypropylene from Bodie and Fou. It's available in fuchsia for
£140.

This online company is a great source for distinctive, imaginative but
affordable homeware. Turn a window into a pink vista with its window
blind featuring rows of pink birds the Bird on Wire blind costs £65.
Pop pink blooms (what else?) into a snazzy pink Menu rubber vase which
isn't just irresistible, but unbreakable too (it might even last the
school holidays!). It costs £14.95.

EASTERN PROMISE: The seductive style of the East epitomised by
characteristic pink florals, such as cherry blossom or magnolia, is
still popular for rooms after centuries' of appeal.

That's hardly surprising, because it mixes well with most modern schemes
and is a great way to add a feminine feel to contemporary rooms.

Jemma Page, founder and partner of Orchid, which specialises in Chinese
antiques and stylish accessories, advises: "Mix some shocking pink silk
cushions with a dramatic dark teak table and offset the look with white
walls. Make a statement with a decorative piece that is painted with
predominantly pink floral designs or scenes from Chinese life."

GET THE LOOK: Be inspired by John Lewis's Eastern homeware collection.
Its Tea Garden wallpaper is scattered with pink blossom, £15 a roll.
Accessorise with a wooden vase decorated with pink blossom, £30 or a
cherry blossom plant in a pot, £35.

The beautiful cushions by designer Julien Macdonald at Debenhams include
some made for this look, particularly a floral print in pink silk, £25.

Originality's the byword at Graham & Green and its decorative
illuminated Cherry blossom branches in pink or white are best sellers.
They cost branch £16 a branch.

Cast a soft, intimate glow with pink glass tea lights on an
Eastern-style tray from Coco Male Tantra candle tray, £15.00.

BLOSSOMING ROMANCE: Feminine, girly girls know that pink's a soft,
sensual colour for boudoirs.

Pastel pinks and deeper rose shades are perfect for conjuring a romantic
bedroom. Warm pinks like salmon pink and shell can help thaw the chill
of cool rooms and are a good background for dark furniture.

Look to cooler pinks, those with a degree of blue in them such as
raspberry pink, fuchsia and lilac, for living rooms and bathrooms.

GET THE LOOK: Kylie Minogue embraced soft pinks and luxurious textures
for her At Home bedlinen range, from House of Fraser. She's combined
rouge pinks and soft mocha shades in layers of sumptuous faux silk and
cotton sateen. Kylie's Sheer Delight bedlinen starts from £16.

Paint furniture in pink, like a chest of drawers, bedside table or even
a wooden bedhead, for a French vintage look. If you can afford it,
invest in a statement piece, like a pink painted Dolce Vita Regency
Chest, £2,749 from Barker & Stonehouse.

Lounge on a pale pink sofa like the Flip Sofa Bed in Candy, £295 from
John Lewis, and be the perfect pink hostess by serving tea in a pale
pink decorative French teaset by Soizick. A Limoges porcelain piece
studded with Swarovski crystals in a Classic Heart design starts from
£18, available from Fortnum & Mason, Thomas Goode and Harrods.