Los-Angeles based digital creator Samantha Klein also known as “samswhurld” has the home every young Barbie fan dreams about having when they grow up. Samantha lives in a real-life, vintage-inspired Barbie dream house with a pink kitchen, pink bedroom, and even a pink outdoor pool.
“If five-year-old me could only see me now!” she exclaims. “My interior design style is all about comfort, coziness and softness. That comes out in soft edges, pastels and natural light.”
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How to Start Decorating With Pastel Colours
With almost 200,000 Instagram followers, Samantha’s signature retro and pastel interior design aesthetic continues to be an aspiration for many. While the retro design aesthetic trend continues to grow, as predicted in the Adobe 2023 Creative Trends Report, Samantha shares her best tips on incorporating more pastels and vintage decor into your home.
Related: This Vibrant, Colourful Montreal Home is Sure to Spark Joy
Look for Pastel Home Decor Inspiration
Samantha says you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when turning your home into a pastel paradise. “Scroll through social media and check out your favourite creators, vintage sellers and anywhere else that gives you inspo,” she says. Trying out pastel-coloured DIYs are a great place to start, she suggests. “You can collect all of your inspo on a mood board using Adobe Express – when you come across an idea you like, drop it on your digital mood board.”
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Embrace Pastel Home Decor Accents First
It’s easy to find second-hand pastel art, decor or furniture at your local Goodwill. ” Incorporating pastel decor into an otherwise solid room can be great,” Samantha says. “I generally try to have white walls and use them as a canvas for whatever feels right, like a lilac mirror, pink couch or mint green etagere. My favourite pastime is spray-painting thrift pieces to match my home and give them new life.”
Get inspired and check out these blissful pastel-inspired rooms.
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Start Decorating With Pastels Slowly
Curating your interior design aesthetic doesn’t happen overnight. “I know the urge to remodel your home as quickly as possible – but take it one step at a time or, in this case, one room at a time,” Samantha recommends.
It’s always a good idea to start with a small room or project to get a feel for pastel decor and styles you like or don’t prefer. From there, move on to redecorating more significant projects, like retiling your bathroom backsplash, based on what you learned from more minor home updates.
Related: Blissful Pastel-Inspired Rooms That Have Us Excited for Spring
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How to Embrace Vintage Maximalist Pastel Home Decor
Thrifting is the easiest way to incorporate more vintage decor and furniture into your home, Samanta explains.
“You never know what you can find by going to thrift stores, and you don’t have to break the bank either,” she says. “ Also, you can take your finds and spruce them up to suit your style . Make it a fun DIY project and then you’ll have the bonus of having one of your pieces in your home.”
Related: This Playful Pastel DIY Wavy Shelf That Will Make Any Wall Pop
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The Vintage Pastel Find of a Lifetime
Meanwhile, the fun thing about thrifting is that when the stars align, you score an incredible vintage find. This happened for Samantha when she saw that one of her absolute favourite vintage sellers, @retrofunk_gal, posted a sneak peek on her stories of a bunch of vintage chairs in the back of her van that she had just picked up.
“I just about freaked out when I saw them because I knew I needed them! I messaged her immediately, and she sent me pics,” she says. “ They’re the perfect Verner Panton baby blue and brought my dining room to life.”
All images courtesy of Samantha Klein.
