Musings on decorating with the color Red

I read a Yahoo news article earlier titled “Women Find Men in Red More Appealing?” The gist of this article was that despite the different cultural connotations of this color a study found that for both sexes there was a strong correlation between viewing someone in red and thoughts of sex or attractiveness. I then, humorously, envisioned a throng of lovelorn masses at the local paint store clamoring for a gallon of red paint and retail sales of red bedspreads and other decorating accoutrements soaring.


The color Red can be fun and exciting because it invokes happy connotations. Red might bring up memories from your childhood when you stayed up all night waiting for a glimpse of Santa in his red fur trimmed suit. Valentines and their accompanying roses are red; we feel happy and rosy when someone from the opposite sex smiles at you from across a room and suddenly everything clicks and the two of you are headed off to “Paint the Town Red”. So, with all these positives that are associated with the color red, I can understand why you might think it is a good idea incorporate red into your interior designs…I even applaud you for being bold and brave in your choice. But slow down partner…there are some things you need to know about this fickle color before you get out that paintbrush.

Applying red paint is very labor intensive; you really are going to need a good coat of tinted primer on the walls before you apply because red paint is notoriously transparent. This is also why you will also need to achieve a balance of expediency and patience when applying the red paint. If you take too long while applying a coat you will end up with roller lines, this is why I strongly recommend hiring a professional painter to handle the application of this fickle color. Also, keep in mind that red paint will take longer to cure, so wait a few days before hanging those pictures back up.

Speaking of tacky walls…because red is such a strong color it can quickly overpower a room. Painting all four walls of a room red will make a room appear smaller, and darker so ensure the size and furnishings in a room can actually handle the weight the color red will bring. Red is also a stimulating color (which is why you see it in restaurants) so considering room use is also extremely important. Essentially, before you decide to paint your room red. you really need to ask yourself “Can the room and its associated activities support this color?”

If you have a small room or the room is supposed to be a space to relax in, and your heart is still set on red consider using it as an accent color instead. A clean modern, minimalist and rather masculine look can be achieved in a bedroom by pairing off white walls, black furnishings and red accents. I personally have incorporated red as a color in my home.  Initially I had red accent walls in my living room which then was also picked up and unified by incorporating a 1940's theme my adjacent kitchen decor by utilizing Campbells Soup accent pieces and War Production signage, a red pay phone, and red aprons, etc. Thus avoiding the dreaded easter egg house syndrome I wrote about before here.

So be bold, be brave and incorporate red into your interiors…but don’t take the decision lightly and keep a whole house esthetic in mind

Contrast in context...choosing trim colors

Sometimes, you can get so excited once you have found the perfect paint color for you walls that you can completely forget to take into account coordinating your trim (baseboards, chair-rail, and crown moulding).

A few posts back I wrote about color, and how it magically changes dependent upon the light conditions of the room and with the placement of other colors next to it here:

(http://amusingreflections.blogspot.com/2010/07/resist-easter-egg-home-syndromecreate.html)

Most likely, the trim in your room is your basic white...designed to be inconspicuous...until you decide to pick a bold dramatic color for impact.  Now suddenly that white trim around the doors is glaringly white!  You no longer really see the bold color...just the contrast! 

Now...don't get me wrong...I love contrast...in context.

What do I mean by that?  Well, consider what else you have in your room.  White trim and bold colors will work well in a sunny room filled with light wicker furniture but, if the furniture in the room is heavy and dark and your have perhaps wrought iron table lamps and dark wood furnishings...you might want to consider the opposite of white and go for a dramatic black.

Like this example of black trim used in an entertainment room:

If black is too big of a leap for you…or if you have mid-toned furnishings (oak for instance) you could consider trim in the same color family just a few shades lighter or darker. If conventional white still is your top pick…this is okay… 99% of the homes I visit (and some of the rooms in my own) utilize white for the trim color. But consider this…white is a color…so, is your existing white trim the right white?


Yes, white is a color with cool tones and warm tones. Warm tones generally have a hint of yellow in them and cool shades a bit of blue. So if the white trim in your room isn’t quite feeling right, you may need to experiment with a warmer or cooler shade.

Embrace color, this includes the color white….and experiment.
(and just for giggles try saying "right white" fast five times)

Resist the "Easter Egg Home" syndrome...Create a Home Pallet Book

Never under estimate the role of color in creating ambiance. Color is magic, but you must use it for good and not evil.

Have you ever walked into an “Easter Egg” house? Those homes where you traverse the rainbow spectrum from front door to back? Each room a complete island unto its own, the bold welcoming foyer in a sunny yellow, off to the left is the romantic dining room in deep magenta, the kitchen with its cobalt blue accents, and the living room in with its relaxing mint green hues. Oh yes, we have all seen them…maybe even some of us live in them, don’t worry your secrets safe with me.

It’s not your fault; we love color because it evokes feelings…it is the foundation for building ambiance. The key to using color responsibly is to take a holistic view of your home and always remember this point…

Color is transient which is why you have no color memory.

Our perception of color relative to its current environment.  Next time you are in the local paint store take a paint chip and place it on a five different colored pages of construction paper and you will see this intriguing effect. The same color on a white background will look different if a black background is then substituted. It gets even more interesting as far as intensity and hue if you place a different color behind the paint chip. Then consider lighting...The light as it changes throughout the day will also affect color. A yellow placed in a sunny kitchen will most like take a deeper golden hue if used in an upstairs hallway.  This is why the local paint stores provide those lovely paint samples and why most paint sales associates will advise you to take the chips home and observe the chips on the walls for several days before choosing your color.

So go to your favorite paint store and pick up a pallet and then boldly choose the color you like best. But let’s go one step further after you have picked the perfect color and painted your room…keep the paint chip!

Consider buying a small notebook and title each page with the rooms in your house, obviously it will be easier to carry this into the various furnishing stores than the entire wall from your living room. It will also save you a lot of time and frustration if you need to freshen that coat of paint a few years down the road. But most importantly, this “pallet book” will be indispensible in avoiding the “easter egg” home syndrome as you move from room to room in your house. Order the pages to mimic the natural flow of movement through your home. As you contemplate your color choices for each room take the time to paste the paint chip in this notebook. Then try this, flip the pages rapidly and contemplate how you feel as you progress through the pages. Do the colors flow harmoniously…if not you may need to reconsider hue, tone or tint of your color choice. 

Try it out and see if it works for you.