Barbie movie inspires hot pink home design trends in Florida
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Expect to see more pops of pink across Tampa Bay as Barbie drives the summer of nostalgia.
Why it matters: Reliving highlights from the past helps us find comfort and uncomplicated joy in the present, Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, tells Axios.
Driving the news: Florida was among the top number of states searching "Barbie pink" over the past year, early July Google Trends data show.
Yes, but: Don't expect a deluge of Barbie Dreamhouses popping up across the region.
Zoom in: Tampa interior designer Brittany Ford has noticed wallpaper and textile companies capitalizing on the Barbie trend, but says it's just that — a trend.
- If you want to jump on the Barbiecore bandwagon, painting your walls or trim pink is a low-commitment way to pack a punch, Ford says.
- You can also pick one room and decorate it around one color or theme, like Barbie pink.
- Head to an antique or thrift store to hunt for on-theme art, rugs, window treatments and light fixtures.
Zoom out: U.S. search interest in "Barbie pink" in the home and garden category more than quadrupled in June 2023 and is currently at a 10-year high, per Google Trends data shared with Axios.
- "Pink" and "Barbie pink" were among the top 10 trending paint colors in June.
- What they're saying: Post-pandemic, there's a "pent-up desire to just have some fun," Pressman says. And incorporating Barbie's bold, signature shade at home — from countertops to wine glasses — is one way people are leaning into optimism.
We asked AI to show us what a Barbie Dreamhouse might look like in Clearwater and Sarasota. (It didn't disappoint.)
- The Clearwater Barbie Dreamhouse is waterfront, of course, surrounded by palm trees. The five-story building has arched windows and doorways.
- In Sarasota, you get a three-story home with high ceilings and lush landscaping.
