A Shade of Red for all Spaces at Home

Red is a color that evokes plethora of emotions, Being one of the oldest color, used from the time of monarch to symbolize royalty and dominance. It is the color that has an intimidating effect however, if used in balance and partnered with elements that compliment its presence, the color truly reaches its transformative capacity and aids in stimulating sentiments such as passion, warmth, courage and love. Furthermore, the use of a color that holds such transformative feats, its incorporation in the world of design stirs a wide array of reactions. While several designers approach red as a panacea, believing that the assimilation of the color instantly transforms an otherwise dull design into something more lively. While another cohort of designers approach the color cautiously as though they believe that the color has a transformative aura, however, its arbitrary usage makes the design come across as jarring, interior designer Samantha Stathis Lynch notes,“When used correctly, red can be sophisticated and playful, but don’t expect to throw a red pillow on a sofa and voilà, your room is suddenly perfect”.

The secret to embracing red is understanding that it doesn’t have to shout to make an impression. Even subtle touches such as pillows and accent walls can make the space feel memorable. What is truly awe-inspiring about the color is its versatility and how effortlessly it blends everywhere in a home and undoubtedly turns the space for good.

Red in Bedroom, Living Room & Other Common Spaces:

Bedroom and living room represents two aspects of life, while the former is about Personal and private, the latter focuses more on how one interacts with society and manages public affairs. As both spaces evoke such contrasting emotions, the way they are decorated also changes, as in former space red transgress the boundaries of colour and manifest as a personality trait, whereas in latter space it becomes more about making a subtle statement. Association of deeper shades of red such as crimson and burgundy with passion and romance, makes it an ideal choice for intimate spaces such as the bedroom. This particular space sits at the intersection of intimacy and comfort, hence going all out with red and using subtly to make it pop out yet do not disrupt comfort becomes a viable option.

Living Room and other common spaces in any home are rendered with either standalone roles or often several common spaces interact to execute multiplicity of roles, such as, in general Indian architectural design there is no clear separation between a living room, drawing room, or hall and are used interchangeably. Furthermore, Open kitchen and lavatories are also common design tropes that are presented parallelly with Living room. As talked earlier, the living room serves as a gathering space where public life takes place, hence liberty to splurge with red gets restricted and sophisticated approach of using red comes into play. The most common design trope to give vibrancy to the living room comes from the incorporation of an accent wall that is partnered with either different complementing color or decorative to utilize the conviction of color. The psychological effects of red that are known for increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, which could be ascribed to its energising and mood lifting properties, aids in creative conversation and familiarity that are cornerstone of any common spaces.

While the conversation now has shifted to the kitchen, an important and symbolic space in home. This particular space is often associated as an anchor point in the familial structure and source of communal and familial harmony. Red has an immediate effect in kitchen and dining spaces, as it is often associated with enhancing the appetite of individuals. This is why many restaurant chains use red in their menu and logos. Several designers, while mapping out color design of kitchen and dining spaces, add either red furniture, appliances or even a certain sector of wall painted in red.

Light, Space and Science of Seeing Red:

Red is a sort of color that balances delicately between coming across as jarring and sophisticated. This makes red a hard colour to play with as it’s not only about choosing the right tone and hue of color but also keeping in mind how different lights and spaces interact with the color.

Lighting transforms red more dramatically than any other color. Color specialist Fiona de Lys advises against decorating north- or south-facing rooms in brighter reds as,“That can result in either a harsh start to the day from the bright morning light, or Dante’s Inferno with the afternoon sun,”. In natural daylight, most red tones seem to become brighter and cooler whereas, under warm light such as filament bulbs and warmer LEDs, it becomes deeper.

The size of the room also comes into consideration. Red, like any warm color, has an advancing quality that makes walls appear to move closer. This creates an illusion of small space, this works effortlessly in larger spaces such as the living room, however in cramped spaces red should be used cautiously as it could make the place look suffocating.

Final Thoughts:

Red is not a color for the faint hearted, however, one shouldn’t be intimidated by this vibrant hue either. The key to utilizing red truly depends on the intention, choosing how you want your interior and then committing to the right tone is a way to go, whether it is a single crimson accent in the bedroom or a full burgundy sofa set in the living room. Home decoration is a direct reflection of a person’s personality and red pays off to only those individuals that are committed to it.