
The Tyranny of The London Greys
Until you’ve spent a full winter in London, you can never really achieve a PhD-level understanding of the colour grey. It’s not just the dove grey of a bone-chillingly freezing, low-hanging January sunless sky, or the slate grey of the pavement, or the silver grey of the birches stripped of all their leaves; it’s the way these shades all collide together with the very austere, grand, angular, masculine style of architecture that makes up the majority of the city. I find it oppressive, bleak, persistent, and erosive. If you were seeking out the absolute greyest shade of grey, I would recommend that you take a visit to East London on an overcast, sub-zero day. The lack of green spaces combined with the industrial feel of the warehouse conversions, or the ‘ode to steel and concrete’ that you encounter wandering the streets of EC1, is a perfect symphony of endless greys. Even the faces of anxiety-ridden city workers are ashen, accentuated by the dull greys of their pinstripe suits. It’s different to say Paris, where I spent a winter living and working. Although they have similar weather to London, they have a much more feminine style of architecture, so the greyness is less overpowering; there’s still a hint of softness.

The Wondrous Pink hues of The Brasserie of Light
I sometimes feel that my senses are being slowly numbed in this sea of grey that is the London winter, so like a diver rushing to the surface of the water gasping for air, there are a few special places that I run to, my soul gasping for inspiration, my senses longing to be reawakened and reinvigorated. If grey is the poison, pink is the antidote! My spiritual home in London is The Brasserie of Light at Selfridges. The mythically sized Swarovski-encrusted Pegasus sculpture, taking flight over the restaurant, gives you an instant hit of serotonin, like a supernova of sparkle magically lighting up your senses. The deliciously delectable, fantastical, tactile interiors immediately transport you to sparkle planet, an alternate reality of iridescent beauty, infinite shards of light all framed in timeless elegance.
You feel as if you are bathed in a soft rose gold glow. The pastel pink leather bar stools work beautifully with the metallic gold leaf ceiling, silver art deco mirror designs, and dazzling light fittings. An unexpected surprise delights your senses when you open the door to the bathroom. It feels as if you may have slipped through a glamorous portal to another universe, the most perfect 360-degree, super-heightened pink experience you could ever imagine. A deco-fractured mirror design, pink marble-clad sinks, a pink marble floor, and rose gold mirror conspire to create the most perfect shade of pink I have ever seen - the lovechild of cotton candy and blush rose.

Dreamy Fragonard Frou-Frou at The Wallace Collection
If you are experiencing sensory overload, I would recommend you take a leisurely stroll over to the refined environs of Manchester Square to visit The Wallace Collection at Hertford House, home to some of the most important artworks of the 18th and 19th centuries. I particularly love the joy of the pastel pink frothy silk dress in Fragonard’s Rococo Masterpiece ‘The Swing’, the colour perfectly expressing her blissful abandon as she leans back in a playful reverie. The Wallace restaurant is a calm, serene, conservatory-style space; the pale pink walls contrast beautifully with the white cornicing, and the gentle greens of the trees and white sculptures all meld together to soothe the soul and make you feel like a Regency queen being served a refreshing afternoon tea!

Babygirl Pink - The Colour of Hope
It’s not only in interiors and art that the soft, comforting hues of pink are having a moment but also in the world of fashion, which is always a good barometer for expressing the current mood of the zeitgeist. Hot on the heels of the recently launched movie ‘Babygirl’ (but already having featured heavily in 2025’s designer collections), babygirl pink is trending for this year. In the movie ‘Babygirl’, Nicole Kidman, a powerful tech CEO in her 50s, features pale pink heavily in her corporate wardrobe. In a work environment, it conveys kindness, compassion, and empathy, making others view you as sensitive, approachable, and playful. Even the word pink has an inherently cheeky feel about it. It’s the cuter, lighter cousin of dramatic, bold red. As the 3D world looks increasingly unpredictable, perhaps we are all longing to lean into more softness, more comfort, and more kindness, whether it be in our interiors, art, or fashion choices. Perhaps babygirl pink is the colour of hope that we want to wrap ourselves up in, softening the hard edges of deep winter with candy floss coloured tenderness.
By Closet Angel