Think Pink: Barbiecore Explained

At Dunn-Edwards Paints we’ve been highlighting the virtues and appeal of the color pink in interior design for a while now. From pink palettes for summer, to the fated appeal of electric colors like fuchsia and July’s color of the month, Neon Pink (DEFD10). What can we say? We’re hot on hot pinks. And while we’ve seen this trend taking shape, it has exploded into the zeitgeist recently in a big way. 

In March, fuchsia-clad Valentino models sauntered down the runway at Paris Fashion Week 2022. In May, hot pink reigned supreme as a celebrity fashion choice on the red carpet at the Met Gala. This was also the same month that brought us Peacock’s limited series about pink-clad, real life barbie doll and 1980s billboard queen of Los Angeles, Angelyne. In June, Kim Karshashian took to Instagram to post a series of portraits while decked out in Balenciaga bubble-gum pink.

So what’s this hot pink trend all about?

As we noted in our reveal of 2023 Color + Design Trends, the turbulent last few years have  resulted in a kind of  pandemic-fatigue: a determination and pent up energy which is now manifesting itself in an outburst of retro-futuristic decor and athletic-inspired brights. In other words, right now, the color pink equals optimism.

Photo Credit: Marni Mervis

Enter the “Barbie” movie. Just last month, an onslaught of press surrounding the forthcoming release of the Greta Gerwig-written, Margot Robbie-starring film heaped a haze of hot pink across the internet. The #Barbiecore aesthetic is real. Barbie is everywhere these days - she’s even stepped into the world of blockchain with a series of Barbie NFTs.

In fact, #Barbiecore has over 7 million views on social media platform, TikTok.

One only need look as far as Palm Springs’ newest getaway and the eponymous Discovery+ show, The Trixie Motel, and other photoshoot ready home’s like Nashville’s House of Adora and The Dahl House in Los Angeles, to see how barbicore pink aesthetics are being expressed in the world of interiors.

Photo Credits: Dani Nagel

From Victorian architecture to ‘80s and ‘90 kitsch-inspired looks, pink and barbiecore lends itself each individual’s unique take on the style. To get  started, here are some must-haves for the perfect Barbiecore space are:

• Barbie-themes art
• Lacquered furniture
• Tone on tone painted pinks
• Curved or rounded feminine-shaped furniture 
• Velvet or satin textiles
• Gold or white accents
• Pink neon signs
• Vintage 1950s or 1960s patterns

For more on the history, meaning, and symbolism of pink, click here for essential pink color theory.