| As a rich basis for a wall color or an invigorating | | | | which make an attractive glowing foil for gold and |
| accent, red adds life and vivacity to a room. | | | | silver, or subtle partners for bottle green, lime, or |
| Though bold, it's a warm and welcoming color, | | | | sage. Even alarm-box red has a cool tinge to it, |
| companionable at close quarters with a wide | | | | being on the bluer side of true scarlet; it is often |
| variety of shades. | | | | difficult to discriminate between these fiery |
| Impressive and regal, bold and brave, red is the | | | | shades, but worthwhile in order to use them to |
| color of kings, but also of rebels; a color of formal | | | | their best advantage. |
| tradition, but also the flag of change and renewal. | | | | If you want to give this color its head as star of |
| Being the color of fire, red has instant warmth | | | | the show, set it against any number of cool |
| and draws the eye irresistibly. As a color to live | | | | neutrals such as dove gray, cream, fawn, beige, |
| with, you may love it or hate it, but few people | | | | or ivory, where its brilliant vitality can shine |
| will be indifferent to it. Used in quantity it makes a | | | | undisputed. |
| bold, confident statement but it takes courage to | | | | All-Over Red |
| use it this way. As a partner to other colors, red | | | | Interior decorators of antiquity were far bolder |
| makes a lively contrast, bringing a fizz and | | | | with strong colors than is generally supposed. The |
| resonance to quieter combinations - and you can | | | | walls of Roman, Greek, and Etruscan villas were |
| add it in splashes as an accent to give a spark of | | | | covered with panels of glowing red, ocher, and |
| welcome. | | | | green; Chinese palaces were lined with scarlet and |
| In the color wheel, red is at the heart of the | | | | gold and these were copied with enthusiasm in |
| warm section of the spectrum, the hottest | | | | Regency chinoiserie drawing rooms; the Victorians |
| shades being pure vermilion or scarlet. Around | | | | used newly synthesized versions of costly |
| them range a whole selection of gentler shades | | | | crimson pigments to create rich, glowing |
| which are often easier to use and make delightful | | | | backdrops for sumptuous entertaining. |
| partners for many other hues. | | | | Using a strong red as a basis for a wall color is a |
| Moving towards the orange section of the | | | | bold step but can be immensely successful in |
| spectrum, red attains a rusty tinge, giving the | | | | giving character to a room. Used with traditional |
| antique look of Chinese lacquer and fading to the | | | | furnishings, touches of gilt and dark wood, and |
| softer tones of terra cotta and coral - all | | | | richly patterned fabrics, the impression red gives |
| wonderful to enliven schemes of jade green, | | | | is one of coziness and comfort. |
| turquoise, or deep aquamarine. Sliding around the | | | | A related article you might like is: Do you Love |
| wheel towards the cool blues, you find the elegant | | | | Retro 70's? |
| jewel tones of crimson, plum, and burgundy, | | | | |