#2 FEBRUARY: LOVE IS…
This is a love letter from me to you, diving into February with an exploration of the hot-blooded colour that we most associate with love - RED.
Primal, daring and provocative, red is a confident and energising colour. Thanks to its long wavelength, red is one of the most visible colours in the spectrum. Red stops us in our tracks and grabs our attention, quite literally increasing our heart rate. Symbolic of passion, sensuality and power, it is warm and stimulating. In China, red is considered the colour of good luck, prosperity and a long and healthy life. In India, it’s the colour of celebration, happiness and joy.
Red might seem too brave a choice for you to live with in your home, but as Christian Dior rightly said, “There is certainly a red for everyone.” Are you bright scarlet, earthy terracotta, cheerful cherry or rich port? Or somewhere in between!
I love to use pops of pillar box red and tend to lean towards warmer colours with more red than blue pigment in my schemes.
Here are 5 ways to use red in your home:
As a dynamic accent colour to bring a positive energy, excitement and enthusiasm. Try vibrant red grout on white, pink or mint green tiles in your bathroom. Or painting a suggestive flash of red inside a bedroom cupboard. Arrest the room with a red chair, lamp or other accessory.
Clash it with pink and lilac - in a ditsy floral pattern for cottage core fans or colour blocking for a modern feminine vibe. Or mate red with its complementary colour green, as often seen in tartan a la Vivienne.
For a nature hit, use warm earthy shades of terracotta red to create a welcoming and nurturing atmosphere, full of comfort and positivity. Keep it tonal to neutralise the energy, and style with other earthy shades like mustard, olive and chocolate. Or follow the fiery sunrise and sunset, baking red with hot pinks and oranges.
Create graphic stimulation in playful ways. Paint a bright red circle shape to define a shelf on your wall. Stripe right with red and white - that delicious seaside deckchair vibe that conjures the joyful feelings of a hot summer. Channel your inner Piet Mondrian, mixing the triad of primary colours - red, yellow and blue. Or change the yellow for white for a fresh, albeit patriotic, scheme for a nursery.
Go full drama, drenching your favourite shade of red in a drawing or dining room. Did you know that red stimulates appetite, draws people together and encourages conversation and debate. In an entrance hall or full gloss on a front door, it creates a strong impression. And in a home office, it’s an ambitious call to action!
Check out my VINTAGE COLLECTION for some super cool red accent pieces. And if you’d like to understand better how red - and other colours - can work for you, I offer remote or face to face interior colour consultations, always with transformative results. You can DM, call or email me to arrange the best time.
With love,
Kim
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