Travel

Think Pink

A brief tour of the color of love across the South

Photo: Courtesy of the Harbour Island Tourists Office

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re looking at the South through rose-colored glasses. From interiors in shades of blush and bashful to bright pink houses and pale pink beaches, the region is full of beautiful locations where the rosy hue is front and center. Here are five of our favorites.


The Quirk Hotel
Richmond, Virginia

Photo: Courtesy of Quirk Hotel

A guest room at The Quirk Hotel.

Pink is the color of choice at this hotel in historic downtown. We love the cool pink walls (Love & Happiness 1191 by Benjamin Moore) in the guest rooms and the soft pink bar stools in the lobby.


Pink Sands Beach
Harbour Island, Bahamas

Photo: Leigh Webber

Clear Bahamian surf laps Harbour Island’s pink sand.

The beautiful pink beaches of Harbour Island owe their unusual color to remnants of the shells of tiny microscopic animals known as Foraminifera that live on Bahamian reefs.


The Pink House
Charleston, South Carolina

Photo: Courtesy of the Charleston Area CVB, ExploreCharleston.com

The exterior of The Pink House in Charleston, South Carolina.

Built circa 1712 by John Breton, the Pink House is one of the oldest structures in the original walled city of Charleston. It is constructed using mostly Bermuda stone, a coral limestone that was exported to the Colonies from Bermuda and used as ballast on ships carrying timber. Today the Pink House exterior also features stucco and a bright limewash.


The Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

Photo: Courtesy of The Greenbrier

The Cameo ballroom at the Greenbrier.

Pink was a beloved hue for the hotel’s interior designer Dorothy Draper. The Cameo ballroom is drenched in two shades of it and looks just as fresh today.


The Royal Palms Hotel
Bermuda

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

A street view of the Royal Palms Hotel.

The bright paint colors associated with homes that dot the island of Bermuda (including shades of pink) were a largely late eighteenth century addition. “The earliest colors were probably earth tones such as Spanish brown, burnt umber, and Venetian red for a range of faded reds and pinks,” says Dorcas Roberts, the Director of Preservation at the Bermuda National Trust. The vibrant exterior of the Royal Palms Hotel, which features a mix of both Colonial and Bermudian architecture, is a lovely example of a more recent pink.


Do you know about a wonderful pink locale in the South? Tell us about it!


Haskell Harris is the founding style director at Garden & Gun. She joined the title in 2008 and covers all things design-focused for the magazine. The House Romantic: Curating Memorable Interiors for a Meaningful Life is her first book. Follow @haskellharris on Instagram.


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