Red is a powerful color and only the truly committed usually go all out with it in their decorating (as in red everything) – but if you’re not going to go all out, how do you work it in?
Here are some ways to incorporate it and some things to consider:
Make a grand entrance.
Red is a very cheerful color, making it a very welcoming choice for the front door.
If your home’s interior is decorated with red, it can be an indication of what’s to come, or just a nice pop of color for neutral homes.
source / Door color: Benjamin Moore Rapture (CC-66)
Use it in eating areas.
Many of us aren’t looking for anything else to stimulate our appetite (right? sigh.) but, if you are, red can do that. That’s why it can be a good choice for kitchens and dining rooms.
Consider temperature.
In cooler, darker spaces a warm red can be used to brighten and warm up the space.
On the flip side, if your room is already sunny, since red can make you feel warm, you may want to skip the red walls and use red only as an accent.
Make it marsala.
Not all reds have to be bright! Toned down shades can add life – just not more than you may want. Consider a brownish red like Marsala, Pantone’s 2015 Color of the Year.
Emphasize the focal point.
Our eyes go to color, so use red on the details in your space that you want to emphasize, like they did with this bathroom vanity.
If there are things in the room you don’t want people to notice, keep them neutral and use the art of distraction by putting the bold color elsewhere.
Balance it out.
As we’ve already mentioned, red is a spirited color that likes center stage. If you want it to blend in more, combine it with colors that are equally as vibrant and bold to balance it.
source – walls: Benjamin Moore Gravel Gray
Energize your space.
Red is a stimulating and energizing color, so it’s perfect for enhancing your creativity (think craft space, sewing room or home office).
It can also be motivating for rooms where the tasks aren’t quite as much fun – laundry room?
Cool it down.
Pairing red with cooler tones, like the trending grays, calms it down and gives it a current feel. In this case the texture of the handspun, natural jute rug softens the impact of the red, too.
SHOP THIS LOOK:
table | dining chairs | metal chair | rug
Use tints and shades.
Combinations of tints and shades add depth and dimension to a space. In the room below, the bold pink and coral balance and soften the vibrant red headboard.
Add it in Accents.
An easy way to play with color is to add it in accent furniture and accessories that can easily be moved around the room, and to other rooms, as your design preferences change.
If you’re interested in more creative ideas for using color in your home, you might like these posts:
– Creative and Unexpected Ways to Add Color to Your Home
– Design Tips for Adding Accent Colors to A Neutral Space
– Painting a Color on the Ceiling
[…] the warm red hues that we talked about in Tuesday’s post, white is light, fresh and clean. It’s neutrality makes it a versatile tool and many […]