Interior Colour Palettes Inspired by Disney Princesses

Disney princesses such as Cinderella, Belle and Ariel are all heroines we admired growing up, but their fearless attitudes and compassionate characters aren’t the only things they have in common – their colour palettes are similar too. In fact, most iconic Disney princesses wear blue – known as ‘Disney Blue’.

From Queen Elsa’s icy blue cape to Cinderella’s blue gown, Disney does love a signature blue look, and it’s no coincidence. Leatrice Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute says that female empowerment is the reason: “You’re adding a bit of power to the character by giving her the blue. It’s a very subtle way of saying, ‘Yeah, but young women, young girls, can be empowered, too.’”

With this in mind, we investigated the colour palettes of the 12 official Disney princesses in more detail with the aim to inspire your home interiors. To do this, we identified the top three main colours used per Disney princess. The best-matched paint colours from Pantone’s range for each character were assessed to establish a colour palette for the most popular Disney princesses to help those yearning for a Disney-inspired interior.

Snow White (Snow White)

The first of all Disney princesses, Snow White, appeared in Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. As the first-ever princess, her character paved the way for later heroines in Disney fairy tales and inspires Disney animations today.

Snow White is known for being the “Fairest One of All”, whose beauty is defined by her kindness and purity. Despite the actions of her evil stepmother causing her to run away, her good nature and ability to make new friends with the seven dwarfs is what ultimately saved her. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Snow White’s top three colours are often associated with confidence, loyalty, and strength.

Create your very own Snow White-inspired space by painting your walls in a dark navy to create a cosy, homely feel. Emphasise the dark blue tones by picking neutral accessories and materials lighter than the navy-blue walls. Accent the navy-blue walls with raspberry reds to create a statement, such as a bright red sofa, a textured rug, or artwork.

Cinderella (Cinderella)

Disney’s Cinderella was first released in 1950, making Cinderella Disney’s second official princess. Despite being treated poorly by her stepfamily and forced to work as a scullery maid for her wicked stepmother, Cinderella still found time to be kind. Her determination to never give up and everlasting optimism manifested itself into a Fairy Godmother, whose magic served as a catalyst for her ascent from servant to princess in the fairy tale.

Cinderella’s overwhelmingly blue colour palette couldn’t be more fitting for the princess. Alongside female empowerment, Cinderella’s colour palette is associated with characteristics of trust, loyalty, and confidence.

Create an elegant space (like Cinderella herself) by mixing and matching shades of blue into your space through wallpaper, paint, fabric, and accessories. Incorporate golden accents by adding gold lighting and decorative accessories, like artwork, clocks, or candle holders. You may want to consider incorporating glass furniture into the room, too, as a nod to Cinderella’s famed glass slipper.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

The kind and gentle Princess Aurora, also known as Briar Rose, first appeared in Sleeping Beauty in 1959 – the third official member of the Disney princess lineup. The young princess had a tough childhood after being cursed to die by the evil fairy Maleficent on the day of her christening. However, three ‘good’ fairies managed to alter the spell to send Aurora into a deep sleep that true love’s kiss could only break.

Aurora is a beautiful, graceful, and sweet-natured young girl who believes in true love, echoed in her pastel-like colour palette. Each colour represents Aurora’s personality to a tee, highlighting her strength, determination, and intellect.

In the interior design world, pink and yellow are a match made in heaven. Take inspiration from Aurora in your interior design by decorating your space with glowing, golden tones and pink hues – from soft dusty pink to bubblegum pink. You can do this by layering fabrics in varied pink tones – like Aurora’s dress – and adding pops of yellow throughout through furniture, lampshades, and artwork.

Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

The Little Mermaid was released in 1989, making Princess Ariel the fourth official Disney princess. In the fairy tale, Ariel had a forbidden admiration of the human world, which landed her in trouble when, whilst exploring, she fell in love with a human prince named Eric. This led her to strike a deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human for three days, but it went horribly wrong.

The embodiment of curiosity and adventure, Ariel loves to explore, and her desire to learn about humans also makes her passionate and tenacious. Ariel’s colour palette perfectly emphasises this, as the mixture of eclectic reds, purples, and aquas are often associated with determination, ambition, and endurance.

To create your own chic underwater oasis using Ariel’s colour scheme by decorating your walls in a calming purple and accessorising with lilac draped curtains. Complement the purple walls with muted aqua-blue furniture, such as a sofa or bed, and pops of red as a nod to Ariel’s signature hair colour. You may also like to fill the room with coral sculptures and shells to give the room an under-the-sea vibe.

Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was released in 1991, making Belle Disney’s fifth official princess. In the film, Belle is labelled as an outcast due to her free spirit. Belle’s love for fantasy and adventure stories, coupled with her outcast status, left her longing for a life outside her small French village. Her wish comes true when she becomes the Beast’s prisoner to save her father’s life; however, she soon discovers that her captor is actually an enchanted prince.

Due to being labelled an outcast for her love of books, Belle is independent, true to herself and happy in her own skin. Her personality is emphasised in her colour palette, where the bright yellow tones highlight her joy, happiness, and positive energy.

If you’d like to incorporate Belle’s iconic yellow colour palette into your home decor, one thing’s a given: yellow should be the focal point of the room. Paint your walls in golden tones of yellow to create a mellow glow and accessorise with bold yellow accessories, such as cushions and throws. Add wooden furniture to add a touch of brown as a nod to Belle’s luscious brunette locks.

Jasmine (Aladdin)

When Aladdin was released in 1992, we were introduced to Princess Jasmine – Disney’s sixth official princess and the first of non-Caucasian descent. She is an independent, rebellious princess of Agrabah who aspires to break free from the outdated laws of her kingdom and life behind her palace walls, to live a life where she is free to make her own choices.

Princess Jasmine is open-minded and generous, and strong-willed and daring. She knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to stand up to her rivals. As a result, Jasmine’s colour palette perfectly embodies this as the colours represent confidence, intellect, and loyalty.

To take inspiration from Princess Jasmine’s colour palette in your interior decor, firstly consider painting your walls black. Although daring, black walls are bold, elegant, and timeless and are a sure-fire way of making any room look chic. To add some extra definition to the wall, you may want to consider panelling. Add accents of yellow through large furniture pieces, like a bed frame or sofa, and complement with blue, yellow, and black accessories.

Pocahontas (Pocahontas)

In 1995, Pocahontas was released for the first time in cinemas, making Pocahontas the seventh official Disney princess and the first to be based on a real person. Pocahontas taught us about the beauty and importance of nature. Inspired by her love for an English settler called John Smith, she sought to unite the natives and settlers before a battle unfolded to protect her home.

Pocahontas’ caring nature allows her to be free-spirited and carve out her own path. This can be seen through her colour palette, made up of earthy tones and blues. These colours, often associated with joy, happiness, and intellect, reflect her noble, free-spirited character.

If you’d like to incorporate Pocahontas’ colour palette into your interiors, start by creating a neutral-toned colour scheme through muted yellow tones and browns. Add blue accents throughout the room with cerulean-hued accessories, such as throws, plant pots, or cushions to make a real impact.

Mulan (Mulan)

Based on the legendary Hua Mulan, Fa Mulan is the eighth official Disney princess from the 1999 animated movie Mulan. She is the strong-willed daughter of a war veteran who strives to uphold her family’s honour by protecting her father and defeating the ruthless Shan Yu to become a fearless warrior.

Mulan’s top three colours – dark reds, turquoise blues, and dark blues – are often associated with safety, growth and endurance, all of which reflect her personality accurately. What’s more, her strong nature and masculine colour palette highlight that girls and boys are just as good as each other.

To create a bold room (like Mulan herself), consider decor reminiscent of the eastern-inspired mid-century design. Paint your walls in a cosy dark blue and accessorise with lighter blue accessories, similarly to Snow White. Don’t forget to add a statement red-hued rug to tie the whole room together.

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

Ambitious and confident, Tiana became the ninth official Disney princess in the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. The film sees the princess, a gifted cook, chasing her dream of opening a restaurant of her own. However, her dream comes to a halt when Tiana kisses a prince who had been turned into a frog, and ends up falling victim to the curse herself. She then set off on an adventure to find a cure.

The heavy presence of green in her colour palette is evident in her outfit and is synonymous with safety, endurance, healing, and growth. This is fitting for Tiana, a talented and intelligent young woman who is also passionate and ambitious.

To replicate Tiana’s iconic green-hued colour scheme in your home, go bold. Paint your walls in a darker green shade to create a sense of warmth and cosiness. Accessorise the space with varied soft green furnishings (such as a sofa or bed, pillows, and throws) – not forgetting plants, too.

Rapunzel (Tangled)

Rapunzel is the star of the 2010 movie Tangled, and she is the tenth official Disney princess. Known for her long, golden hair, Rapunzel was abducted by a wicked witch and locked away in a tower. Years later, with the help of Flynn Rider, she escaped and pursued her dream of exploring the big wide world she was deprived of for 18 years.

Rapunzel is a spirited and determined young woman and always pushes herself forward to pursue her ambitions. Despite being locked away in a tower, she always takes great enjoyment in everything life has to offer. This is emphasised in the princesses colour palette, which echoes her personality traits of determination, strength, ambition, and joy.

Create a pastel-inspired haven with Rapunzel’s colour palette by mixing and matching these complementing colours. Consider creating a feature wall with purple and pink floral wallpaper as a nod to her love of nature. Create accents around the room with pops of yellow in the form of cushions or incorporate gold lighting and decorative accessories.

Merida (Brave)

Princess Merida is a Scottish princess from the kingdom of DunBroch and is the main character in the 2012 film, Brave, making her the eleventh official Disney princess. In the movie, Merida likes to escape the palace to practice with her bow and arrow, ignoring her mother’s attempts to teach her how to behave like a ‘perfect’ princess and challenging her kingdom’s long-standing traditions.

Merida’s character is headstrong and isn’t afraid to break tradition and speak her own mind. This is emphasised in Merida’s colour palette, which includes shades commonly associated with fascination, creativity, and ambition – a nod to her fiery spirit (and hair).

Take inspiration from Merida’s personality and her colour palette by bringing the outdoors in and creating a nature-inspired room to escape to and find solace from the outside world. Paint your walls in the beautiful duck-egg blue and accessorise with black furniture to create a woodland-inspired space. Consider making accents throughout the room by adding orange lampshades, throws, or a statement rug to incorporate the bold orange colour.

Moana (Moana)

From the 2016 film of the same name, Moana is the twelfth official Disney princess and is the newest Disney princess film. In Moana, the princess embarks on a mission across the sea to save her world after her island becomes endangered by life-killing darkness, alongside Maui.

Moana’s character is compassionate and respectful and teaches young people the importance of knowing who you are and staying true to yourself. This is reflected in the princesses colour palette, as the colours are often associated with confidence, enthusiasm, and determination.

To replicate this tropical style colour palette into your own home, embrace oceanic blues, sandy browns, and spicy oranges. Consider painting your walls in an ocean-like blue – reminiscent of the Moana riding the waves. Complement the blue tones with oak furniture and pops of red through the use of bold furnishings like rugs, curtains, or cushions.

Methodology:

• OnlineMortgageAdvisor.co.uk sought to determine the interior colour palettes of the 12 official Disney Princesses.
• Images for the 12 Disney Princesses were sourced from Disney’s official website and then uploaded onto ImageColorPicker.com to discover the characters’ colour palettes.
• Once the main colours for each character were identified (including the colour of attire, eyes, hair), the respective hex colour codes were inserted into Pantone.com’s colour finder.
• Using their hex colour code converter, OnlineMortgageAdvisor.co.uk were able to establish the paint colours best matched to replicate the character’s colour palette.
• Credit for Disney princess images used in the graphic: Svnnyday / Shutterstock.