Remember the pink-and-blue decorating craze? Somewhere between the sponge-painted walls and floral borders, we decided those two pastels were meant to be together. They crept into bedrooms, bathrooms, and even living rooms, and let us not forget kitchens.. And like everyone else caught in the wave of pastel mania, we jumped right in.

When we decided to decorate one of my youngest daughter’s college apartments, pink and blue seemed like a no-fail combo. It sounded cute and timeless in theory. In reality? It was hideous.