I will never forget the day I decided to paint the music room of my last home with Benjamin Moore’s Fading Twilight. I had never painted anything red, but I had a vision of a jeweled room in the center of the house that made me want to take a risk. This is still one of my favorite rooms I’ve ever built, and one of the first to experiment with something called ‘colour drenching’. I just recently learned this term. One of my favorite ways to make a room feel cozy and intimate is by painting the walls, ceiling, and trim all in one color. I’ve since done this in my closet, Faye’s room, living room, bedroom, and den (until I repaint it). Color dressing is best used in rooms that have some natural light and cased openings or doorways. For open floor plans with no clear start and stop points to rooms, it is safer to use neutral.
shopping in the music room
In today’s color school lesson, primary red, a journey to all the colors of the rainbow begins. If you want more confidence in your color decisions, be sure to check out our past lessons.
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What is Color Psychology?
Did you know that different colors can affect human emotions, behaviors and moods? You can literally have different emotions from room to room based on color. That’s why it’s important to choose a shade that matches the purpose of the room and how you want it to feel in the room.
What about the color red?
according to ColorPsychology.org, Red is usually associated with passion, warmth, courage and love, as well as danger, aggression and violence. Red is known to raise the heart rate and evoke strong emotions, so go with caution. I think the reason why red is not often used in interiors is because of its vividness and strength. There’s something about red that grabs our attention and can become overwhelming and dominant if we’re not careful.
When deciding on the colors for the study, I chose a particularly calm red. *When we talk about “muted tones,” we are referring to colors mixed with grayish-brown tones that confuse the “potency” of the color. Fading Twilight leans towards brown-red for a more earthy and down-to-earth feel. For me, the music room was a refuge from the alabaster shades of his ground floor. But most of all, this room felt like a warm, invigorating, soothing embrace. Hmm, nostalgic.
Here are some other inspiring ways you can bring red into your home.
paint it red
Jump right in and embrace the color red for what it is. These lacquered shelves are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Cottage He Red and are stunningly beautiful. Of course, this one is bold and not for the faint of heart, but if you like red and aren’t afraid to take risks, give it a try. If you use a lot of red in one room and want to create a consistent color palette for the whole house, sprinkle red throughout the rest of the house to keep it unified.
muted red tones
I am so obsessed with how the light dances in this muddy red/brown paint color. In fact, it reminds me a lot of our music room, but a little more burgundy. A great way to incorporate more color into your home, especially if you’re skeptical, is with muted tones.
patterned wallpaper red
At first glance, wallpaper floral stickers may not look red. I love good patterned wallpapers and this is no exception. I love how red and pink tones dance with navy. Doesn’t this room feel quaint and romantic?
pop red
Nothing grabs my attention like a pop of red. Red is captivating, and a little touch here and there can go a long way.
mix different reds
I really like the orange and red hex style on the floor in this bathroom, the burgundy tiles on the walls, the orange and wood dresser, and the touches of brass. Sounds like a similar warm color scheme if you ask me. Also notice that all the colors are in the bottom half of the room. It feels very down to earth and balances the use of color.
red cabinet
Maybe that’s why I love red cabinets so much, because it’s not everyday to see them. Plus, kitchens tend to be the center of the home, so they’re the perfect space to use red.
VOTE TIME: Do you have red in your home or avoid it? If you want to make a bold statement in your home, here are some of my favorite red things.
1. Thalassa Tray – Chinese Red $175
2. Martha Stewart Rim Fine Ceramic Dinnerware 16 Piece Set $60
3. 1950s Vintage French Style Chair $2,200
Four. Battenberg family wall art $258
Five. floral lamp shades $98 I am obsessed with this pleated lampshade. It grabs my attention every time I look at it.
6. Skala Mandur Maasai Red Zebra Wallpaper $238 (per roll)
7. Edie Two Tier 8 Light Chandelier $875 – I just installed this in my dining room and the cool gray wallpaper and pop of red against the trim is the contrast I was looking for in the space.
8. Dalton Brown Suede and Metal Dome Table Lamp $269
9. Bacio Merlot Curved Velvet Sofa $1,749 – I can’t think of anything more daring than a red sofa.
Ten. Preserved Bunch of Beech Leaves $38
11. 11ft Round Outdoor Market Umbrella $559
12. CLJ×Loloy Jules Merlot/Multi-Lag $153 – This rug is one of our most popular rugs and the Rust Merlot Red goes with anything.
