HGTV's Tiffany Brooks Tastefully Incorporates Barbie's Colorful Style Into Design Space - Exclusive
As a lifelong Barbie fanatic and as a designer known for her use of bold color, there is perhaps no one better suited to be on the judging panel of "Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge" than Tiffany Brooks. In HGTV's most fabulous design competition to date, fan favorites from across the network compete to have their one-of-a-kind Barbie inspired room earn the title of winning design each week, in turn transforming a Southern California mansion into a larger than life Barbie Dreamhouse.
Like Barbie, Brooks doesn't shy away from using statement-making color palettes in her designs, although she also knows that they key to success when using them is to do so very strategically. Being intentional about how you use pink and other bold tones in your design scheme will allow you to introduce Barbie's chic style into your space in a way that works in real life. In an exclusive interview with House Digest, Tiffany Brooks shares how she mirrors Barbie's use of bold color in her own designs in a tasteful and sophisticated way.
Balance the bold tones with something more subdued
"One of the things I am known for is my use of color," Brooks says. Like Barbie, Brooks has an affinity for bold, saturated hues and doesn't shy from using Barbie's signature color when the situation calls for it. "Barbie and all of her play sets, they always had a very strong, playful use of color, but it still remained stylish even though it was part of a play set. That's one of the things I truly resonate with," she says. With as much style as these more saturated tones can bring to a living space, it's important to incorporate them in a way that doesn't overwhelm the space or distract from its other features.
Before you write off the use of Barbie's pink Dreamhouse palette in your own home, Brooks says it's possible to use the bold tone and others like it in your design scheme while still remaining sophisticated, as long as you contrast it with more muted neutrals. "I can definitely spotlight an orange and a teal," she explains, "and add a blast of pink, but I'll do so in a tasteful way. I'll do so with a warm white wall with tons of trim work and molding on it, but we're going to go crazy with the teal sofa and pink ribbon pillows. That's how I'll bring in that punch, and I do that with my clients, as well as with my Barbie play sets."
Catch new episodes of "Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge" every Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET on HGTV.