Pink is far more versatile than people give it credit for, but the secret is restraint — you balance it, you don't double down on it. The three directions that consistently work are muted green, soft grey-green, and a deep anchoring tone.
Green is pink's natural partner — they sit opposite each other on the colour wheel, so the contrast is gentle rather than jarring. A barely-there green like Dulux Almost Pistachio (LRV 80.3) is a cracking match: fresh and powdery, light enough to keep things airy, and it tempers any sweetness in the pink. Use it on woodwork, a single wall, or bring it in through joinery and it'll do the heavy lifting.
For something more grown-up and architectural, reach for a grey-green. Paint & Paper Library Slate IV (LRV 67.5) is a warm grey-green — olive-leaning rather than blue — and it gives a pink scheme a dignified counterpoint that stops it tipping into nursery territory. It's brilliant on a chimney breast or as the trim against a soft plaster pink — think Setting Plaster walls with Slate IV woodwork.
And here's the bit most people miss: pink needs grounding. A deep, warm brown like Mylands Cigar BH.20 (LRV 11.8) anchors the whole room — a dark skirting, a panelled lower wall, or even a door brings weight and makes the pink read as deliberate and confident rather than accidental.
The "but what about white?" question — yes, a warm off-white like Pointing or Slipper Satin will always work for ceilings and trim if you want to keep it airy. Just avoid a brilliant cool white, which fights the warmth in the pink and makes it look chalky.
My practical advice: pick one supporting role per element. Green on the joinery, OR a grey-green chimney breast, OR a dark grounded skirting — not all three competing at once. Sample big — boards you can move — check them against the wall facing your light, and look morning and evening. Pink shifts more than almost any other colour through the day.