A woman has spent £25,000 turning her home into a Barbie-style “pink palace” – and says her obsession is so extreme that even her power drill matches.
Sarah Wilkinson has spent eight years filling virtually every corner of her five-bedroom home with various shades of pink, from the kitchen and staircase to the garage door, fridge and bathroom.
But for the 46-year-old, it goes far beyond interior design.
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Her wardrobe is entirely pink, her hair is pink and even her laptop, mouse, keyboard, luggage, power strips and DIY tools have been given a rosy makeover, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Sarah’s BMW has pink wing mirrors, pink badges and a pink personalised number plate – although she dreams of owning a car that is pink “from top to toe”.
And while some people think she is “a little mad”, Sarah says surrounding herself with the colour represents something much deeper – the freedom to finally live life exactly the way she wants to.
“I’ve loved pink for as long as I can remember,” Sarah, an event consultant from Sandhurst, Berkshire, said.
“But it really came into its own after I came out of a long-term relationship where my partner at the time wasn’t supportive of it.
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“When I got my own place, I finally had the freedom to decorate exactly how I wanted, and I ran with it – into my home, my wardrobe, and eventually my hair.
“Bit by bit it stopped being just a favourite colour and became my personal brand – the thing people notice first and remember longest.”
Sarah, originally from North Wales, now shares the house with her husband and their decidedly non-pink cat.
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Her 16-year-old stepson also stays with the couple every other weekend – although Sarah says he tends to “roll his eyes” at the pink surroundings.
She began transforming the property shortly after moving in eight years ago.
A couple of rooms have even been decorated twice after Sarah discovered a new shade or finish she preferred.
All in, she estimates the transformation has cost around £25,000.
Her biggest single splurge was around £5,000 on pink Venetian plaster for the en-suite.
Sarah said: “I’d always rather save up for the one piece I really love than settle for something that isn’t quite right.”
Even supposedly mundane appliances have to pass the pink test.
A matching Smeg kettle and toaster in the right shade cost around £250, while the kitchen is packed with rosy appliances, utensils and accessories.
“Even the small stuff – my power strips, and yes, my power drill – is pink.
“Even my kitchen roll and garden hose are pink.
“If there’s a pink version of something out there, chances are I’ve found it.”
The property is currently on the market, with a guide price of £725,000 at the time of writing.
The detached home, which is approximately 1,699 sq ft, boasts up to five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a 20ft lounge and dining room, a large kitchen and breakfast room, and a landscaped garden.
Its pink treatment begins before buyers even step through the door, with the exterior and garage door both painted in the signature shade.
Inside, photographs show a pastel-pink kitchen, pink staircase and doors, matching dining chairs and a fridge surrounded by coordinating accessories.
There is, however, one notable refuge from Sarah’s rosy world.
Her husband, Tim, has a deliberately pink-free “man cave”.
“His office, which we call his ‘man cave’, is proudly pink-free,” Sarah said.
“It’s important to me that he has a space that’s entirely his in what’s our home together.
“He’s very used to packages arriving that he doesn’t know about with something pink inside.
“He hasn’t vetoed a particular purchase, but there have definitely been some shades of pink that have been vetoed.
“Aside from that, he’s embraced the pink from the very beginning.
“He genuinely loves what I’ve done with the house and loves living in it, and he’ll happily put on a pink shirt for date night.
“Having a partner who supports and embraces this side of me so wholeheartedly really is wonderful.”
“My mum calls us ‘the little pink couple’.”
Her unusual style regularly attracts attention outside the house too.
Strangers have stopped her on the tube to compliment her outfits and tell her she has “made their day”.
One of her favourite encounters came when a little girl walked past the property, turned to her mum and exclaimed: “It’s Barbie!”
Sarah said: “Those small interactions are what make it all worthwhile.”
Friends are divided between loving the house and thinking Sarah is slightly bonkers.
“Some friends absolutely love it, others think I’m a little mad – and I get asked for photos constantly,” she said.
After pictures of the property appeared online, one pal even suggested she should try selling it directly to Mattel, the company which created Barbie.
Sarah also says she has occasionally encountered judgement in the workplace and believes assumptions have been made about her because of her appearance.
“I know there have been a few assumptions made about me behind my back,” she said.
“Though it’s genuinely rare, I’m sure there’s more said that I never hear.”
But she refuses to tone herself down.
She said: “If someone’s decided the best use of their time is leaving unkind comments about a stranger who’s just being herself, that says far more about them than it does about me.”
“I’m a firm believer that everyone should be free to express their own individuality.”
“No matter if you are pink or different in some other way, it’s okay to be different and you don’t have to be like everyone else.”
And despite eight years of decorating, Sarah’s pink wishlist is far from complete.
“The big dream is a car that’s entirely pink from top to toe.
“I see them online and get properly excited every time.”
She also hopes her next property will feature a pink roll-top bath and has been inspired by somebody she follows online who created an entirely pink home bar.
Sarah and Tim are hoping to relocate to Herefordshire in search of a quieter country lifestyle.
“The move is purely for a lifestyle change and we are hoping to go to Herefordshire for a quieter country life,” she said.
“It will still be pink, though.
“I know tears will be shed when I leave.”
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