Every month this year our collage-artist-laureate Mel Kolstad is creating a new assemblage that helps us to celebrate the houses that we’re in. (That’s a house pendant she also created – click on it to go to her etsy.com shop.) An open thread to go with this month’s red-headed muse: Do you use the color red in your house? Where is it working well? Tips for other readers?
I haven’t used it yet, however, I have these retro style framed pictures of a coffee pot, cup and saucer and place setting that are in red and cream. They will eventually go on the walls in my kitchen.
OH, the real question is where don’t I use red? Right now, red is a primary accent color in my living room, bedroom, and bathroom. I want more of it in the kitchen because it is the perfect color for the multi-shades of gray and white that is my kitchen, but to achieve that I would have to replace some great little paintings of cows in fields of green with some red apple paintings and that is just not in my budget.
In the living room the red is throw pillows that are a great cherry red, and also in a few of my paintings, and the rugs. In the bedroom it is the background color in the large floral print on a loveseat and also is in the other large floral print of the comforter — in the flowers. And, it is spattered in some of the pictures on the wall. In the bathroom it is primarily towels. I can’t imagine a home without lots of red —- and black, my other favorite “color”.
I love red, I even have red hair!
I haven’t got as much red as I would like at the moment, but we have an accent wall in what is to become our bedroom soon, as which point there maybe more that one wall in red. We used to have a house with another red accent wall in the living room, with mustard colour on the other walls, this all sounds very bright I know but looked fabulous with the 50′s curtains which has mustard, red and dark teal colour, I miss that combination!
Red chair and sofa. (If I ever clean my house enough I’ll take a picture to post.) I bought the 50′s set at the Salvation Army on half-off day for $30, then had them recovered for about $1000. The guy who did the work said the frame is all oak!
My ex-kitchen had a deep red Marmoleum floor, matching red Formica countertops, and Ben Moore Bone White walls and cupboards. The dishware was vintage Franciscan Apple. It was a very special part of that house.
“To be a good, pleasant and satisfiying room, a livingroom should have shades or variations of each primary color-red, yellow and blue. Our eyes unconsciously seek these colors.”
-Amy Vanderbilt’s Guide to Etiquette, 1952
Fiona-
Years ago I knew a couple with a great cranberry red bedroom.
Stunning— 16×12 with 10 foot ceilings.
They repainted after a few months, because they said it was too unsettling in both the morning…and evening. I hope you have better luck.
DH and I carpeted our bedroom in a short plush deep red once… it was a mistake… now I just use red as an accent color. I’m primarily a green, gold, earthtone sort of decorator.
Only small amounts of red at our house: a brick red in some pillows and the wool rugs in the muted gold living room, red potholders in the pale blue kitchen, and only a touch of red here and there in the bedrooms, such as in the design of the sheets. Red is such a nice accent color, and I really should get a nice red geranium for the kitchen.
I have bursts of red as an accent in my living room.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/only-girl/4097256980/in/set-72157604663316781/
I had a lot of red in my old kitchen and totally loved it. I think I must have od’ed on it, though, because I don’t have any in this house, other than one set of vintage pot-holders in the kitchen and some nesting dolls in the living room.
I do love the color combo of Tiffany blue with red accents, though, and might use that somewhere someday, who knows!
For now, like Fiona, I use red in my hair and also in my wardrobe!
I have Typhoon’s red breadbox. My love for it is great. I have the red scale, too. I think a red Kitchen Aid would be awesome.
oh, i love red!
i semi-accidentally gained quite a collection of red accessories. somehow, every kitchen gift i’ve gotten from my family was red. but mostly it was because i was – until last year – in a fairly drab apartment, and for the first time in a position to buy some decor, which i think led me toward something to liven it up a little – red sheets, red towels, red throw for the couch.
i *love* everything red in my kitchen. if i could afford it, i would tile the floor in red/terracotta, to go with the lovely white cabinets i want (and, of course, the red appliances =)
on the other hand, now that i have a bit more freedom of decorating, i’m not as keen on my red sheets and such. now that we’ve painted the walls a really lovely color i don’t feel the need for the bed to be an accent point anymore.
I hadn’t really stopped to think about it, but I have a lot of red in my house, too (’52 Cape). All shades and variations. Only the kitchen has a true “cherry” red, as in red Fiestaware, and the color is a great accent to the aquamarine countertops and walls.
Other rooms include deep red Oriental carpets, lamp shades here and there, accent chairs, throw pillows, red stripes or patterns in upholstery fabric, a deep “Tibetan” red paint under the dining room chair rail, red above the chair rail in foyer and hallway (a rusty terra cotta red called Foxy by Sherwin Williams, I love it & we get a lot of compliments on it), red in a stained glass light fixture…well, it goes on. Guess I do love red in all its incarnations!
In my new kitchen I have red Silestone countertops. Years ago I bought a chrome dining table with a red Formica top and started collecting tons of red dishes and knick-knacks to go in my future kitchen. Unfortunately, the red table didn’t stick around long enough, but fortunately, my red-junk collection did.
I couldn’t live w/out red! It is so happy! In my last home we had mustard walls in our dining room w/ red trim & shutters-I loved it! Now in our 50′s home we have a red fridge & dishwasher in our teal (aquamarine) kitchen. That makes for a very happy, pleasant place to be. I also have little bits of red throughout the house in old barkcloth pillows & drapes.
I love red, and yes I use it in my house. It’s mostly used as an accent color (pillows, etc), but I finally bought a red chair that I just love. And soon, the walls in my living room will be painted a dark red. I’m a native of the PNW and color is the only way to survive the cloudy days.
Our front door is red! It’s so cheerful and welcoming. My daughter refers to our house as “the red door house.”
I used red quite a bit in my family room. I have slate grey low pile shag carpeting with the exact same color on my couch. I then found his and her 1950′s lounge chairs that I had recovered in red tone on tone patterned fabric. I have lots of red in throw pillows on the couch, artwork and accessories. The walls are a mustard yellow and all together, it makes a great combination – or at least I think so! You can see my family room at http://www.flickr.com/photos/retro-kitty/
Maryanna, I love the fabric in your drapes. Would love to have that in my kitchen. Are they vintage?
Janice, I LOVE your family room—WOW!!
One red cubical fabric lampshade in the corner of the chocolate-milk brown family room, and one red dish towel hanging on the side of the fridge in the green-apple-ish kitchen. The rooms are open to each other, and those little spots of red on the complete opposite ends balance each other and make a statement.
My Parents are CRAZY About red… I kid you not, My parents built this house in 1986 Mom and Dad wernt much on style and fads so everthing is wood panneling and wood cabinets with a light brown stain…BUT we have wall to wall ruby red carpet in each room, red pulls on ALL of the cabinets and closet doors., the extieror of the house is RED brick, theres a birck fire place in the living room made of the same stuff. all of my parents cars are red, my dads 100×50 welding shop is red… the kitchen table im writing this comment on is a 1950′s RED formica table with matching chairs… red trash cans, red sheets, red towles, custom made RED marble sinks in the bathrooms… Just about anything the get is either red or painted red ASAP! And as for me, their only son…I have RED hair! (no one esle does) And natuarally in this ocean of red im a lover of Turquoise.. haha Let me know if you would like some pictures!
I am surprised to find I don’t have a lot of red. I like Oriental rugs and have one with a red background in my sunroom. I have a few accent pieces in my dining room where I display a teapot and a coffeepot from a set of china on top of a cabinet. Hmmm. I am thinking about redecorating in my family room, and I like some of the ideas for adding a nice touch of red. Right now I have a dark gold tone Asian carpet with a saddle tan sectional, and I like a southwest flavor. A pinch of salsa would be great!
Red Fiestaware!
Red metal sink, red 1950s square patterned vinyl floor in the kitchen/sitting area, brick red painted trim around all our living/dining room windows including the wood between the little panes of glass of the windows and French doors (Flower Pot by Sherwin Williams), and the biggy: planning on painting the lower cabinets in the kitchen a darker red to match the island and sink. I know it sounds bad but it looks good in the old farmhouse. Previous owner had red everywhere including inside the cabinets! She left a red child’s tall stool that all the kids want to sit on, and I have a $.25 step stool that I painted red too. Oh and last summer I did red geraniums in the window boxes and whiskey barrels and red/white impatiens along the covered walkway. Nancy Burton: I must see your kitchen!!! (in Colonial times a red door was a sign that it was a place that might have a room to rent – the original bed/breakfast symbol!)
I used candy apple red as the accent color to my aquamarine kitchen cabinets. Initially I thought that I would use a kind of dulled coral. But I found the aquamarine was so “strong” it needed a stronger accent color. When I put the primary red next to it, everything just “popped.” Also, we have an antique-barn-brick red on the sectional down in the man cave. It really looks good with the cherry paneling, gold carpet, green tile fireplace and green Ethan Allen club chair, blonde side tables, all pulled together with a coolonial pinch pleat that has all the colors of the room in it.
Pam, sure would love to see pictures of other rooms in your house. Your kitchen was my inspiration for my kitchen. I still go back and look at your pictures every now and then just because it makes me happy.
Stay tuned, Janice – there might be a surprise coming.
I need to see your kitchen! Send me pics, but I warn you I am way way behind on reader posts — this n that keeps happening and now I’m busy getting ready for the home show coming up in Charlotte. I keep all the photos though and will get to them eventually…
Well, the kitchen is in progress right now, but I will be happy to send some “after” shots when it’s all done. Good luck at the Home Show and can’t wait for our surprise!
Red has always been my favorite color … I still remember wearing a red plaid skirt and a white blouse with red trim on my first day of school (1952/53?). I have touches of red in my dining room as accents, but my very favorite thing is the outside of my house. It was built in 1961 of redwood. The owner got tired of the maintenance and had it painted a taupey tan … very blah. Last Summer we had it painted Sequoia … which is a wonderful, rich shade of red. It is beautiful … now we have the “red house on the hill”. Love it!!!
i was going to say i don’t- but then looked at my kitchen which has a cheery cherry theme. So, in the kitchen with cherry details (curtains & chalkware & framed old can labels). I also have a little bit of red in a crocheted throw that my Mom made for the living room (green,red,cream).
My house did have a red wall in the bedroom when I moved in, but I painted it – didn’t go with the blue theme I wanted.
KITTTTTCCCCHHHHHHENNNNN
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41733092@N00/sets/72157612906989994/
Maria – woah! You have been workin’! Have to get your kitchen up on the homepage of the blog! May I?
I want to live in Maria’s kitchen!!!!! Adopt me!
We haven’t renovated the kitchen yet, but for now, red features big in the living room (couch, love seat and accessories) and in the accessories in the kitchen (gorgeous red dishes, toaster and everything else I can get my hands on).
I just painted my cabinets Turquoise and I am using red as the accent color, which was the wall color in my last house. So I have a lot of items I am still able to use in the new kitchen.
I am very happy that I am able to bring red back in, because I really do love it.
Marie,
I love the red beadboard ceiling!!! Tell me more about your lights – did you mean you painted them? Or if not, where did you get them?
Kathy
After years of living in white apartments, I bought my first house in my early 30′s–an 800 sq foot 1940′s bungalow with knob and tube wiring–and immediately painted the small living room–all four walls–a hot, hot red. The color was PPG’s Calypso Berry, and my house glowed into the street at night, even with the blinds closed! I loved it. It changed my outlook and lifted my mood in a remarkable way. When I got married and moved 700 miles away into a 1990 tract house (boo, hoo), I painted two of the walls in my new living room another shade of red–a more true red, this time. I have a rug with multiple shades of red, orange, and fuschia hanging on the wall (which is 12 ft high at the apex), and at one time had one red and one orange sofa. I’ve now got a nice salt and pepper tweed sofa which tames things down a bit. I’m actually planning to paint the walls a sort of leaf green, but I’ll still have plenty of red in my life–sheets, towels, etc, and like another poster, my beloved KitchenAid mixer!
Oh, now how could I forget my beautiful red porch chairs? Just because I haven’t seen them for months… I’m hoping this picture will work:
http://app2.sellersourcebook.com/users/5272/dscn2315.jpg
Maria Stahl-
Fantastic….and gloss no less!
I love the way red Gerbera daisies look on our mantel against the honey-stained paneling above the fireplace. This is also my favorite spot for Christmas vignettes. Our living room is not large, so a little red goes a long way. This summer we painted our front door Heritage red, which looks great with the Craftsman green vertical siding and painted brick with crisp white trim.
I, too, love the red Marmoleum – took my breath away when I first saw it. My husband loves it, too (surprise! mr. neutral is slowly coming around to color) and we’re trying to find a spot for it when our renovation gets underway.
Thanks to those above who shared their photos – wow! How many times am I allowed to use ‘love’ in this post?!?
Our front door and two opposing walls in our bedroom.
Pam, sure, I’d be honored!
Julie, come visit! A red kitchen is a happy kitchen. We can make cookies, and, um, margaritas.
Kathy, the lights all came from Rejuvenation. They were hand painted, though not by me. The big lights are the Rose City schoolhouse fixtures and I forget what the smaller ones are called.
Gavin, thanks.
Hi Pam,
My accent color in kitchen is red. My TV room has red walls ala Martha Stewart paint colors. My livingroom curtains also have red in them.
John
Hi all, I see pics can be added to comments. I’m giving it a try. Pics of my kitchen with red accents.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atomichipster/sets/72157608796551050/
Red leather couches in the rathskeller (blue/grey walls) that match my Cardinals seats from the old Busch Stadium. Line of b&W photos – with red frames.
Breezeway has red checked overstuffed chair with matching pinch pleat valance.
Livingroom has velvet panels on the sides of my very large front window.
My old flat had a b&w tile kitchen with red counter – did Mickey Mouse accessories…beyond cute for a young working girl.
Terri
I have the red big chill fridge and dishwasher front. I have a vintage tappan range sitting in my dining room waiting to be put in my kitchen someday. I’ve thought about re-porcelaining the stove in red to match, but I might leave it white and just play up the red tappan accents. Love that typhoon bread box, I’m going to have to hunt up one of those in red now!
Hey perfect timing! I posted last August about my plans for a kitchen remodel and we are just now struggling with the flooring issue. We had planned on refinishing the fir but couldn’t salvage it, so now want to do a red Marmoleum. We worry that it will clash with our red Formica dinette set, and that it will be too strong with an otherwise white kitchen. After seeing examples of rooms like this, I think we can pull it off. Also, Maria, your kitchen is amazing! and gives me courage to go for it.
Here are progress links if you’re interested:
Before,
Starting,
Progress
Where isn’t the red? Dark red in the dining room walls. Red towels and rugs in the dark gray bathroom. Cherry red Congoleum studded rubber tile flooring in kitchen, hall, and utility room. Red accents in the kitchen, until we can remodel — then hopefully red lower cabinets. Red in the pattern on the semi-circular sofa, and a circular red rug underneath. Red is used so much in our house, I swear it reads as a neutral!
We painted the walls red in our tiki room. And on the front door. Here’s a peek at the tiki room:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4331412716_8742345ed1_o.jpg
Janice, I made the drapes from Ikea fabric. Unfortunately the pattern is now discontinued.
I tried red walls in our dining area. Oh, how I tried to love it. Then came the migranes. I needed to accept the truth; I’m a neutrals/ greys, browns, camels, cremes and taupes kind of girl. Now, there’s one bright red lamp shade in the guest bedroom. It’s perfectly unexpected, and I think, pretty fabulous.
I’m planning on painting my kitchen this spring and may do red cabinets on white to compliment my collection of wildly colored retro dishes..
So glad I found your cool site to assist me in my redecorating. http://www.flickr.com/photos/artofcatbishop/3277438624/in/set-72157613082201521/
Thanks,
Cat
In my kitchen remodel I used a turquoise Marmoleum with a red and yellow inlaid accent design for the flooring. I used the same yellow Marmoleum for the countertops, edged in stainless steel. I love the vibrant colors of the Marmoleum and the feel of it. Easy to maintain as well. I highly suggest it for renovators!
We recently did a small renovation on our 1922 kitchen – it was in need of serious love after we bought the house, but we didn’t want to do a full remodel. So, as part of restoring the vintage look, I copied the color scheme from a 1946 Hotpoint kitchen ad – butter yellow, mint green, and cranberry red. The red really acts as more of an accent, and I was told by several “design” friends that I was crazy before we did it (I painted the countertop and the backsplash red) – and afterwards, they all apologized. The results were stunning. It’s funny sometimes how paint can make more change than anything else – we probably get more comments on how “cool” the kitchen is more than anything else in the house. A few other red accents pull the color through – and then we painted the dining room walls to return them to their original cranberry red (it’s got dark wood trim and lots of windows, so the dark color on the walls worked well) – and followed the red accents into the other room adjoining the kitchen – the TV room, so that the eye carries the effects of the red through the space. I was nervous doing it – and now, I wouldn’t change it for anything.
I love red. I painted my kitchen lower cabinets a very cherry red and the upper ones white. The counters are white ceramic tile. I have wall paper with both colors, I took the wallpaper with me to the paint store and they matched the paint to the paper. Then the kitchen runs into the dining room and living room which I painted a soft aqua. When I was planning this I would get strange looks from people listening, but now that they have seen it they are amazed at how good it looks! I love it!!!
I’ve been carefully amassing a collection of the now-defunct Descoware enameled cast iron cookware. Made in Belgium during the post-war era through the 1970′s (when it was acquired by Le Creuset), this was the gourmet’s wedding gift par excellence. The most popular color, and my own favorite as well, was called Flame, a rich firey red that never fails to cheer me whenever I stroll through my tiny 1952 kitchen. Beyond the window valence I plan to make, the only decoration my kitchen needs (or has room for) are my Descoware pieces. They fill the room with life and help to compensate for the lilliputian work space I must learn to appreciate. Vibrant, lovely stuff!
Red is the new neutral! Goes with everything: black, turquoise, yellow, green, orange, hot pink, grey, you name it!
how I use it:
1. Lipstick Red Glossy painted front doors
2. Red, navy, yellow and black Calder prints
3. My fake croc Red Guess purse with jeans & sparkly Dorothy red flip flops
4. Red toenail polish with super shiny overcoat of course
5. Red fleece throw on my black leather sofas
6. Brilliant Marilyn Monroe red with turquoise, everywhere, anytime! Most wake up your eyes combo available. Happy.
7. a favorite Benjamin Moore paint combo with RED:
Million Dollar Red (2003-10)
Old Pickup Blue (2054-50)
Spring Dust (2150-40)
8. ‘Red Rocket’ Crape Myrtles in a row behind my turquoise iridescent every changing glass tiled pool wall
9. Red knobs on my Wolf range
10. Red plastic outdoor IKEA Urban chairs outside! Gorgeous, simple, retro. (really more like a deep orange-can’t get them anymore. So sad.)
11. Shiny red IKEA locker shelf in a kid’s room.
12. Red Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail juice, every day! Addicted to it. Must have.
13. Red raspberries, frozen, with powdered sugar. For dinner.
14. My watercolor still life with RED tomatoes and purple eggplant.
15. Red = fame/reputation in Feng Shui and should be featured in the center rear of your home, relative to the front entry door.
So, my 1957 Miami International style condo (11th floor–top) in Springfield Illinois has been decked out in browns and turquoise…and yes, RED is a major accent color…rug tiles, pillows, accent pieces etc. I formerly owned a bright red sofa, but have moved on to a more neutral mid-century styled one.
Red is my favorite color actually and it goes SO well with turq/brown combo…at least it does in my opinion.
I painted the walls of my kitchen RL Rodeo Red 10 years ago – Loved it ever since – so the teapot and a few other kitchen accessories/tools are red.
It’s time to repaint and I’m thinking of BM’s Vermillion…
Oh, and I also have a monumental and fairly rare coral red 1960′s Bitossi lamp in my blue bedroom…
…and the wing chair in the den which is upholstered in a Black Watch plaid has bright red welts!
The front door of our brick 1950 raised ranch is painted red. That’s it. I think since I’m not a red lover and red is one of the colors that the worst on me, I just haven’t been able to embrace it in decorating.
Now then, our last home a 1952 ranch had a cool yellow and black tiled bathroom. On a whim, I accessorized that bathroom with cherry red window shade, towels and rugs. I hung vintage bath prints of the wall and put them in skinny cherry red frames.
I remembering agonizing over what to do with that bathroom and red seemed to be the only thing that would work.
I like red, and in my kitchen redo which is soon to happen, I will use a red stencil design on my walls for the back splash and paint another wall red by the stove. I am putting up a big framed poster of a cambell’s soup can on the wall as well. I have a red electric teapot and silicone potholders. I plan on sewing some cloth potholders in red and black. I will be painting my pantry door red, and the backyard door as well. There are six doors/doorways in my kitchen. I really need a grand central station sign in there!
The front door, of course! Throw cushions, I’m just making some in Luna Doodad pattern, color, Scorch..sort of a burnt orangey red.