This article will discuss the colors soft pink, hot pink, and fuchsia including a side-by-side comparison. If you are considering a switch to one of these colors, the information here will help you decide which one is best for you.
Soft Pink vs Hot Pink vs Fuchsia Paint Colors
Pink is a color with an interesting history. While often associated with little girl toys, blankets, and clothing, there was a point in history when girls and women were to wear blues and greens.
The calming color of sea and sky were considered female, and the red, pink, and orange of the sun were reserved for boys.
Soft Pink
Soft pink is a well-balanced color and the easiest in this list to coordinate with. Because this shade has the highest percentage of green, it will be less likely to contrast with other shades in your home.
For example, you can contrast soft pink with shades of lime green for a pop of color, but you can also pair it with peach, rust, or burgundy on the red spectrum.
This color pairs beautifully with blue, from cadet to teal to palest aqua. Soft pink is not a fighter, but it’s not really a foil shade either.
If you plan to use this in your décor, you can stretch past the world of little girl bedrooms and put it in a bath or even as an accent wall in another room.
This soothing shade could be a wonderful way to warm up a craft space as well.
Consider also using this shade in the fabrics of your home. Soft pink could be a lovely color to feature in a pattern on a side chair, a throw or a soft, fuzzy pillow in a family room.
Unlike the other shades in this listing that demand attention, soft pink will fade into the background. Of course, you can easily use this shade to great effect with black or gray as well.
RGB: 255, 184, 191
HEX: #FFB8BF
Hot Pink
Hot pink pulls the eye and draws attention to itself. In nature, it’s the red flowers that draw hummingbirds.
Because of the strong concentration of red and blue and the very low level of green in this shade, make sure you use this color on things that you want to draw attention to.
Minimalists may struggle to find any way to put this shade to use, but those who love color can put it to work boosting other shades.
For example, your moss green side chair may start to appear dowdy during the winter months when there’s not enough yellow in the daylight to bring it forward.
Look for a pillow or throw that features just a bit of hot pink to pop the yellow tones in that luxurious green. If you’ve been thinking that the chair needed a cleaning, it doesn’t.
It could just need a bit of hot pink to wake it up.
Because hot pink contains so much red, even coordinating shades will get a bit combative. If you have a number of children’s books or games on a shelf that can look tired or cluttered, pull them out and put up a bit of hot pink at the back of the bookshelf.
Painting with hot pink can be a big commitment and if it turns out you really don’t like it, covering it can take a lot of work.
To keep things simple, go to the fabric store and warm up the hot glue gun.
Cut a piece of cardboard that will fit snugly at the back of the shelf. Purchase a piece of hot pink fabric just big enough to wrap around the cardboard and glue it in place around the back of the cardboard.
Push it in place and let compression hold it. This is an ideal way to test-drive new colors in a space before you add a paint color that could be too bold.
It’s also a great trick in children’s rooms.
RGB: 227,28,121
HEX: #E31C79
Fuchsia
Fuchsia is the boldest color in this listing. The very low level of green means that this color will stand out and is ready to go to battle, or at least serve as a contrast, against most other colors in your space.
Let it take center stage. Fuchsia always draws the eye.
This color comes from the fuchsia plant.
To use it effectively, it’s a good idea to go back to the natural setting of this plant.
Fuchsias love morning light, but too much sun will damage them. The leaves of the fuchsia plant are a sturdy, deep green but don’t offer a lot of visual variety.
To use fuchsia effectively, put it to work in rooms in your home that don’t get a lot of light and need brightening. If you have a reading nook that looks great while the lamp is on but sort of tired in the dark, add a pillow with touches of fuchsia in the pattern.
Another fun decorating option with strong colors like fuchsia is to stack accents in this shade.
For example, your reading nook could contain a cozy gray wing-back chair, a cherry side table, and a brass lamp.
If you don’t want a cover on top of the table, add a small decorative box with fuchsia accents to hold your coasters. On your writing desk, use a fuchsia mug to hold pens and pencils.
This bold color may be a bit much for an accent wall, but in small bursts of color it will stand out effectively and draw out the character and color of your more sedate pieces.
RGB: 217,2,125
HEX: #D9027D
Pink tones do not have to be soft, girly, or any other passive adjective. In nature, it’s often the bold pink flowers that draw the pollinators.
Strong pinks don’t need a lot of real estate in your home to catch the eye, and soft pinks can lighten up a room filled with heavy, low furniture.
If you find bold pinks to be too visibly harsh, look for plush textures to take the edge off.