Red in the interior - a treat for the brave or an offer for everyone?

When you think about your dream interior - a living room where you can happily spend time with your loved ones, a bedroom that allows you to enjoy blissful relaxation and a dining room where you can eat a delicious dinner with your family - you certainly do not choose red. And no wonder: after all, this colour is usually associated with predatory things, i.e. those that do not seem too friendly. After all, the red traffic light immediately catches the eye. Red frogs with their colour let you know about the threat, and the reddened faces of the mandrills express their status of the alpha individual. However, is red always hostile to us, or are there ways to tame it? Reading our guide will provide you with the answers to this question!

Red - has always been a faithful friend of man
Red, in combination with blue and green, is one of the basic additive colours, i.e. from the mixtures of which any colour can be obtained. It is therefore not surprising that red, almost from the very beginning, became the object of desire of prehistoric people, and its use can be found in every, even the most remote corner of our world. This is also due to the unusual symbolism of this colour and the influence it has on the human psyche. You can read more about it on the blog in our article "Psychology of colours - how to use them in interior design?"

At the beginning, the red colour was obtained from crushed natural minerals (e.g. ochre or hematite), crushed parts of plants (e.g. oak) or dried and powdered insects, thanks to which it owed its extremely high price. This dye appeared in Egyptian culture, where it was used during important ceremonies; it was used to paint nails or dye hair. Similarly in Rome: passers-by were greeted by the red walls of the houses, and everywhere reddish vases were proudly piled up in neat rows. Wedding shawls of brides tempted with a crimson colour, and rich Romans decorated their outfits with ruby strips to show off their taste in front of friends. The Chinese, on the other hand, went a step further and at the beginning of our era discovered a way to effectively dye silk, thus laying the foundation for the production of breath-taking red costumes.

This is how the arduous journey of red to the very top began, where it became a true synonym of wealth and style. Rich merchants, cardinals and royal families wore scarlet clothes. All townspeople also wanted to have them, reserving them only for special events. Red was used to paint the robes of Jesus and Mary in the paintings to give them solemnity and emphasize their authority. And what is the role of red in the life of a modern man?

Red has many names
Ripe raspberry tomatoes, a fire truck speeding down the street, an intensely shining diode or a dignified rose: as many people, as many associations associated with the colour red. There are many shades of this expressive colour, thanks to which everyone will easily find something for themselves! Therefore, you can choose from an endless sea of possibilities, for which your interior will undoubtedly thank you. But how not to get lost in this red vertigo? It's best, of course, to start with familiarizing yourself with the most popular variants of this unusual colour:

• cherry - red in a noble, dignified version of tasteful beauty,

• scarlet - red worthy of a king. It is bright and lively, a little brighter than the colour of juicy cherries,

• strawberry - juicy, bright red that brings to mind a delicious dessert and summer refreshment,

• vermilion - called Chinese red. This is a proposal with a decidedly orange tint,

• carmine - delights with its depth and warmth. It has an admixture of brown and a bit of blue, which makes it resemble a more expressive version of raspberry pink. It is often confused with burgundy, but it contains much less brown,

• crimson - strong, decisive red with a significant amount of blue,

• coral - the latest fashion statement. Delicate red associated with an underwater reef, with a delicate, strongly orange colour.

Once you know the most important red shades, you are surely wondering how to incorporate them into your apartment. After all, there are a whole series of rules that must be followed, and this can undoubtedly surprise even the most sophisticated reader of interior design magazines. We suggest how to start arranging the interior to get dazzling effects that you will be proud to show to your friends.

A living room straight from the royal court
The most interesting treatment that you can decide on in the living room is undoubtedly painting the walls in red. However, this does not mean that you can reach for the first can of paint and a brush. First of all, it is worth considering how your living room looks like. Is it spacious and bright? If not, it can be dominated by red, which will definitely worsen its visual qualities. In such a situation, it is better to choose one red wall in a more subdued shade, e.g. carmine, around which you can build the rest of the composition. Also remember that red loves light wood, with which it creates a visually light combination. So why not complement your dream interior with whitewashed wood shelves or put on a raw pine parquet floor?

In larger rooms, upholstered furniture upholstered with pleasant to the touch and eye-pleasing plush will be perfect. A lounge set in the form of a sofa, a pouffe and an armchair or a large corner sofa covered in red fabric will invite a bit of luxurious atmosphere to the room. Looking for something even more extravagant? In that case, invite royal red to your home, and then complete it with gold and silver accents in the form of a chandelier, candelabra, decorative mirrors or crystal accessories. Thanks to this, you will create a mood in the room straight from a royal palace seasoned with a pinch of glamour.

‘To be or not to be’ of a red bedroom
The bedroom is a room that we associate with relaxation and rest after a hard day filled with intense work. So is there space for energizing red in it? Definitely yes! All you need to do is, as in the case of the living room, keep moderation and choose more subdued shades. So reach for coral to add a touch of sunny joy to the sea-inspired New Hampton style. Revive your beige and sand furniture with the help of a carmine wall or even combine strawberry freshness with the whiteness of modern furniture. You can also easily reach for heavier solids and stronger colours (e.g. wenge, ebony, black) to create an oriental-inspired decor with crimson.

Red dining room, your support in the fight against fussy eaters
The stimulating effect of red certainly has a positive effect on the appetite. Who among us has not salivated? Think of a juicy apple, ripe raspberries or juicy cherries? That is why red will be so good in the dining room, where it will encourage every fussy eater to empty the plate in front of him. In this room, red accessories will triumph in the form of, for example, pillows placed on the seats of chairs, tableware or an armchair standing in the corner.

Red will definitely be appreciated by all supporters of modern, minimalist and futuristic style. This shade fits perfectly with black and white furniture with simple forms and geometric shapes, even when they have a glossy finish. A few decisive, red-tinted additions will quickly help to break the monotony lurking in the overly sterile composition of a modern apartment, and will also make the composition more expressive. 

The red colour, despite the fact that it has accompanied us from the earliest times, still arouses considerable controversy with its presence. Fortunately, it is enough to follow a few simple rules to easily control it and to effectively transform it from a predatory wolf into a gentle lamb. Here they are:

• living room - in a smaller space, choose a subdued shade of red (e.g. in the form of one wall) and brighten it with the presence of bleached or raw wood. If you have a larger room, you can easily reach for furniture upholstered with red plush or velour. Complementing the decor with silver, gold, mirrors and crystals will help to conjure up a glamour style,

• bedroom - subdued shades of red will help to conjure up a space conducive to relaxation. Red accents will enliven beige, sand or cream furniture, marine accessories combined with coral will make it possible to obtain a fashionable New Hampton look, and lovers of light compositions will appreciate white furniture combined with a strawberry shade of red. Expressive furniture - decorated, heavy blocks in wenge or ebony - will gain an oriental character due to the presence of strong red,

• dining room - supporters of minimalism will appreciate red in the dining room in the form of small accessories, such as decorative pillows or tableware. On the other hand, fans of futuristic compositions and modern arrangements will easily match red furniture or accents to white and black furniture with geometric shapes, thus creating a fashionable interior.