Before and after: Thinking pink takes this kitchen from grim to gorgeous

Pink is having a breakout moment. From the Instagram-darling of Sulking Room Pink to the very meta can't-tell-it's-painted Plaster Pink, it is flexing its versatility and shedding its girlish image.

No rooms are out of bounds for a pop of pastel or a brush of blush. The secret is to find the perfect pairing with other colours that will take it from sweet to sophisticated.

So we love what Steve and Katelin Haworth have done in their extended kitchen, with deft strokes of pink in alcoves, on the island, on the feature wall and in the accessories – all balanced by accents of industrial grey and neutral white. We got the lowdown on how to keep it stylish not saccharine.

• If you need inspiration for decorating with pink, we've got lots of it

The before

Steve and Katelin moved into the Victorian terraced house in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, with their two young daughters, looking for a forever home which also had a garden.

The old kitchen was already pretty colourful with its shiny red wood units – but the couple found the heavy shade just added to the small, cramped and dark feeling of the galley-style space.

By extending into the side return, they managed to double the size of the small kitchen and open it up to the garden. It also give them a blank canvas to update with some fresh shades.

The process

Steve’s architect cousin, Joseph Wilson, drew out some layout ideas, while local firm BTC Construction did the building work during the four-month project. The choice of colours came from Katelin with Steve suggesting finishes that would give an industrial edge.

‘Once the walls were plastered, we painted everything white and put down 9mm plywood ready for the cement screed and luxury vinyl tile flooring,' Steve said. 'I wanted an industrial look, so we kept the steel beams exposed and used a fire retardant metal paint.

‘Katelin had lots of design ideas picked up from TV, magazines and Instagram and she suggested a pink and grey colour scheme. We came across Affordable Kitchens Direct who supplied and fitted a Second Nature Kitchen in just the colours we were looking for.'

The details

To save money, Steve, an IT analyst, turned his hand to DIY, making a dining table and shelves from floor joists. He also tackled some tiling 

‘Katelin found some lovely pink tiles for the inglenook,' he added. 'She wanted them laid in a herringbone pattern like the floor, but it would’ve taken me forever. Laying them vertically was much easier. I used grey grout to match the other units.

'After living in the space for a few months, we added some colour with a gallery wall. We might paint the wooden pew seat if we agree on the right shade.'  

With the colour confidence they've shown so far, we don't think they should have any problem!