How to Decorate With Red

Red is a dynamic color in decorating. It’s also a color that brings up strong feelings, as it tends to divide home decorators into a “love red” or “hate red” camp. Most often used in dining rooms, red is a misunderstood color that can offer so much more than just an occasional dinner party at home. 

 

It can be a challenge to incorporate red in decorating, but once you think outside the box with the ways it can be used creatively, decorating with red can be a joy. Before you add red to your space, it’s crucial to learn the Do’s and Don’ts of this energetic color.

DO think of red as a versatile color. Though red is popular in Asian-inspired decorating, for Feng Shui decorating, and in traditional styles, it can be added to almost every style. 

DON’T be afraid to use red outside the dining room. There was a trend in the 1990s of painting our dining rooms in rich red hues. This is still a popular choice, but other rooms can handle red beautifully.

Powder rooms, foyers, kitchens, and family rooms, are perfect choices for red paint and accessories.

DO plan for multiple coats of paint, if you’re using red paint. Red often requires more coats of paint to achieve the deep color you’re expecting, and often a coat of primer. Another option is using a tinted primer or self-priming paint as your base, this will help you achieve your target color with less coats. 

DO focus on red in accessories, rather than large-scale furnishings if you're just getting started with choosing red. Unless you are an unabashed lover of red, a red sofa or headboard may be overwhelming and limit how you decorate in the future. Red accessories can be moved around, and even put away for the seasons, keeping your decor fresh.

DON’T think that there is only one type of red. Red can be warm or cool. Warm reds have a brown undertone, and look wonderful with warm neutrals. The cool reds have more violet or blue undertone, and work best with black, cool gray, and white. Knowing the color temperature and identifying the undertone of your red is important when creating a color scheme.

DO consider a red accent wall.  If you would love to introduce red into a space, but would like to balance the color, an accent wall is a great idea. Warm reds look particularly beautiful with stone fireplaces and wood mantels, as an accent.

DON’T consider any red paint color without sampling first. For bold colors, sampling is mandatory. Given the multiple coats of paint required to achieve your chosen color, a full-scale painting project in red needs sampling before committing to the color. A red paint may appear much differently in the space, than on a paint strip. For sampling complex colors, a painted sample board is your best option. This allows you to apply multiple coats directly on the board, and not have to paint over large squares of heavily applied paint once you choose your wall color.

DO explore unexpected ways to add red to your home. A red faux-coral lamp could spice up a home decorated in a beach-inspired style. Adding a red throw to a dark leather couch can lighten up a dark room while keeping it elegant. Creating a red tile backsplash in a white kitchen adds energy and appetite to the space.

DON’T forget red when you’re landscaping your front yard and porch. Red flowering plants are one of the most attractive additions to enhance your home’s curb appeal. If you’re staging your home for sale, pots of red geraniums or red roses can create an inviting entrance to your home.