What Room Would You Use RED For Interior Decorating?

The function of a room using a lot of red must be carefully considered. My favorite rooms to paint red on the walls are dens, man caves, or home libraries. The intensity of the particular red along with accompanying accent colors and upholstery are extremely important to consider. I use a deep, soft red that can be adjusted to create a bright atmosphere for entertaining. I incorporate great adjustable lighting: table and floor lamps, wall lights above works of art, sconces. Mirrors add an additional quality of sparkle. The background of the area rug is a light cream with burgandy, greens, tans, and black. These colors tie in with color schemes of adjoining rooms.

With the lights on, the mood of the entire room is elevated. To maintain cohesiveness as well as light control, I use red in the window treatments. In this case, the lined drapes were the same red as the walls with narrow and soft yellow and green stripes. When it's game time (the TV is on the wall facing the sofa), the drapes are closed, most of the lamps are dimmed or turned off, and the room is the perfect setting for watching TV without being too dark and without distracting glare.

All the furniture is comfortable and durable. The sofa is a worn saddle leather. The tufted ottoman, reflecting all the colors used in the room in a small scale print, can be used to put your feet on or to hold a tray with drinks and snacks. Not seen in this photo are nested tables that can be moved around when and as needed. The large scale print of the arm chairs balance the total scheme.

NOTE: to maintain your home's cohesiveness, carry the use of red to other rooms. This can be accomplished by using tones of red in an area rug, art work, pillows, and fabric patterns. The reds don't have to be the same.