Dynamic! Big! Exciting! Today’s palette of bright and fiery reds conjures up things I love like ripe tomatoes, bing cherries, Stargazer lilies, spectacular sunsets and Old Hollywood red lipstick.

Fiery Reds

Fiery Reds palette

FIERY SUNSET – Benjamin Moore

Bursting with energy, this group of sun-touched tints virtually radiates warmth to fill your rooms with a congenial glow. Carefully selected hues that are soft and subtle offer a neutral element that complements the more fiery reds and oranges, creating a harmonious balance.

Today’s Painting Tip: A little goes a long way.

With reds, harmony and balance are key. Placement, amount and intensity are critical. Use sparingly and very carefully. Think of a sliver of an accent, or one feature element, or maybe a little pop in the ceiling around a light fixture.

It does not even need to be paint! The red can be in a woven textile, a contemporary or antique area rug, a colorful painting, brick, mosaic, warm reddish wood tones, a bright vase of flowers, or a unique and colorful light fixture.

Because red is a stimulant and is a very active, bold, engaging color, this is not the color for bedrooms, rest or calm. This is how I might use reds:

  • Carefully orchestrated, certain shades of red or orangey red are good for dining rooms and kitchens.
  • The softer pale peachy shades can be good for kitchens and living rooms.
  • The darker wine and tobacco colors can be great for a bar, club or lounge area.
  • Active bright pinks and primary reds are appropriate for active play rooms.
  • For a young girl’s bedroom or a baby nursery, just a very small touch of very pale pastel pink if it is combined well with predominant soothing, calming colors.
  • Soft salmons or rosey pinks can also be appropriate for a lady’s dressing room, if it is separate from her sleeping area.

Wonderful Resource: Several years ago my dear friend from Florida, Kim Mikula, published a wonderful book, “Color In Small Spaces: Palettes and Styles to Fit Your Home“. This book is a wealth of color information and a very useful resource to have.

In yoga, red corresponds with our root chakra, our legs, stability and moving forward.

I’m so glad you are enjoying this series on color. I hope that if you are doing a Spring project that these palettes are inspirational to you and that you find the advice useful. Please let me know! Do you have a favorite shade or inspiration today?

Thank you so much for reading. I wish you a most bright, happy, cheerful day!

Patricia
xo

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Source:  Images and quote are from the Benjamin Moore website. The chakra info is from “The Book of Chakras: Discover the Hidden Forces Within You” by Ambika Wauters. “Color In Small Spaces: Palettes and Styles to Fit Your Home” by Brenda Grant-Hays and Kimberly Mikula at Amazon.

Patricia Canfield is a registered interior designer, NCIDQ-certified, and Founder/Owner of deCamville Design, a full-service commercial interior design and architecture consulting firm established in 2000. She and her architect husband, Jack live in Texas with Tito the Cat, although she and her team are available for commercial projects anywhere in the world. She thanks you for reading her blog.