I’m an interior designer — the pink Barbiecore trend has gone way too far


Life is not so fantastic in rose-colored plastic.

Despite the Barbiecore bonanza ahead of the highly anticipated “Barbie” flick, which premieres Friday, July 21, not everyone is thinking pink.

Fuchsia fanatics have drenched their wardrobes and homes in a swath of magenta hues ever since the movie’s titular stars, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, were spotted filming last year, spurring a hot pink infatuation.

But Toronto-based interior designer Phoenix Grey isn’t hopping aboard the Barbie train.

Last summer, he went viral for critiquing the abode of Bruna Barbie, who transformed her home into a mansion fit for a Mattel doll, in a viral TikTok — and his stance hasn’t wavered since.

“When it comes to the Barbiecore trend, a sense of nostalgia can spark so many fond memories for people, and reliving those childhood moments with the iconic pink color and branding that transformed many youths since the ’60s,” he told The Post.


Margot Robbie In Barbie movie still riding in pink car
The upcoming “Barbie” summer flick has Mattel fans in a magenta haze.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

But he warned pink enthusiasts to be wary of “how much they incorporate into their space” because, like all trends, they can be “short-lived.”

“I tend to steer clients away from indulging into trends themselves too much when designing their homes, but I do like to add in a bit of flair from time to time,” he added. “It’s fun to incorporate a trend into a design that will allow a unique perspective as long as it’s not a prominent feature.”

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Pink exterior of Bruna Barbie's home in a TikTok recorded by Grey
Bruna Barbie’s Mattel mansion prompted conflicting reviews online, including from Grey, who said the pink saturation would give him a “migraine.”
@mrphoenixgrey/TikTok

Phoenix Grey in TikTok talking about Bruna Barbie's all pink kitchen
Insider the blond Barbie lookalike’s home, her appliances, carpets, walls and dishes are various shades of pink.
@mrphoenixgrey/TikTok

In his viral TikTok clip last June, he critiqued the migraine-inducing, bubblegum exterior of Bruna Barbie’s home.

Bruna Barbie, whose real name is Bruna Carolina Peres, has fashioned her property into a real-life dollhouse, complete with a pink car, pool and appliances to match.

While admitting he was “slightly impressed,” there is “no way” Grey would be able to live in a house decorated similarly, calling it “flat” and lacking “dimension.”

It was a resounding “no” for him, he concluded.

He told The Post that his least favorite part of the Barbiecore trend is “overindulgence.”

“Some people have really taken it to the extreme to live out their Barbie fantasies,” he explained.


Bruna Barbie sitting on bed drinking coffee with overlay of Grey
Grey isn’t a fan of the over-saturation and over-indulgence in all things Barbie.
@mrphoenixgrey/TikTok

Bruna Barbie's pink pool and pink car outside her pink home
Even Bruna Barbie’s pool is dyed pink.
@mrphoenixgrey/TikTok

“I get the sentiment behind Barbie inspiring people to do or be whatever they want, but the commitment some people have made to transform their entire room or even every aspect of their house to the Barbie fantasy is a bit much for me,” he continued, adding that it would be difficult for the “average person” to maintain without growing tired of the intense color palette.

But Peres isn’t the only blond babe reveling in her own Barbie world.

Katie Loveday, 18, modeled her living space into a rouge dream house, with pink carpets, walls, furniture and even an entirely pink wardrobe in addition to her expansive doll collection.

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She fears, however, that her overly saturated lifestyle will scare away potential love interests.


Grey talking about Bruna Barbie's pink kitchen while she is in the photo cleaning
“Some people have really taken it to the extreme to live out their Barbie fantasies,” he told The Post.
@mrphoenixgrey/TikTok

Grey talking about Bruna Barbie's themed bathroom
Instead of drenching an entire home in pink, Grey recommends adding subtle clues that show a personal flare but don’t dive into the deep end of the short-lived trend.
@mrphoenixgrey/TikTok

“If I’m out shopping, my eyes just naturally draw to pink things — there’s no point trying to wear anything else,” Loveday previously told South West News Service.

“I shop online for new bits every single day — I have ‘new collection’ alerts on so many of my apps and have even managed to adjust it so it’s only pink clothing.”

For anyone like Loveday who can’t tear themselves away from a pop of pink, Grey recommends adding the accent color in subtle ways.

“If someone wanted to incorporate pink into their homes, I would bring it in with subtle cues so that it still works with the rest of the space without sticking out like a sore thumb and not naturally fitting in with the designed space,” advised Grey, who boasts more than 742,000 followers on TikTok.

While he’s not wholly Barbie adverse — he admitted he’s incorporated custom vanities inspired by the Barbiecore trend — he doesn’t want to only see pink.

“For those who want to dabble in the trend itself, paint is always a great go-to: It’s affordable, and when you tire of it, you can always paint over it.”

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