From love to hate: the psychology of red
Red is the most emotional, sensual and passionate in the color palette. It is justifiably associated with strength, pressure, energy, power.
Red color is leadership, self-confidence, determination, readiness to act. It is not surprising that kings and queens wore red robes, even those who perform in red uniforms often become champions, and movie stars walk along the red carpet to receive awards...
Psychologists are confident that this expressive color mobilizes, increases productivity and endurance. And doctors add: red increases the heart rate, stimulates the production of adrenaline and even increases body temperature.
If a person chooses clothes and accessories of this color, it means that his actions are guided, to a greater extent, not by cold calculation, but by passion and emotions.
But there is a downside to the “red” medal. Intense red is also a sign of danger (just remember the light of a traffic light), anxiety, and aggression.
This color is so strong that it can symbolize both ardent love and frenzied hatred; This is a flame that can not only warm, but also burn. Obviously, this is why reserved, non-conflict, timid people do not like provocative red. Although this color can help such natures: activate them at the right moment, spur them on, push them to take action.
Popular combinations
If you decide to use red as the main color, it is very important to choose the right recessive tone that will add laconicism to the interior. The most popular combinations among designers include the combination of red with:
- White , the pure and immaculate color of walls and complementary objects, neutralizes the impact of red and goes well with it. The interior design is very gentle, fresh and attractive.
Related article: Shades of white in interior design
- Orange or yellow . This combination creates a summer mood, this is a great idea for designing a child’s room, such a nursery will become your baby’s favorite place.
- brown and adds restraint and solidity to red. These shades are to some extent related, so they look harmonious in the interior.
- Gray , calm tone of gray walls stabilizes the atmosphere. By diluting the design with additional items, you will achieve a contrasting and original design; golden and beige colors are suitable.
- Black, despite the fact that this combination is considered classic, very often this design looks depressing. Therefore, it would be better to dilute the interior with golden or white accessories, which will reduce pressure and add respectability to the interior; a calmer gray shade will also cope with this task.
Gray or beige wall colors will also help to dilute the pomposity of red. With the addition of patterns or brickwork, these unions look very cozy.
Beige and gray wall colors add softness and calm to the room. To avoid interior monotony and boredom, you can use several different beige shades at once.
What interior styles suits red?
Due to its rebellious reputation, red is not often used in interior design. And in vain, because rich, cheerful strokes can make a space lively, voluminous, and the interior spectacular and fashionable!
Skillful splashes of this color will suit such interior styles as avant-garde, empire and art deco, fusion, pop art and eclecticism.
Red color will come to the rescue if you want a house in an ethnic style - Moroccan or Indian. Lovers of oriental exoticism will not do without it: in interiors in the Chinese style, red is a must.
Total red
Red color in clothes is self-sufficient and without combinations.
Wear a red dress or a red pantsuit and you're ready for a stylish look. And with a slight splash of leo print, red will charm you with its extravagance. Do you love this cozy INCLUDE pure cashmere knit dress? Pair it with high boots, accessorize with fashionable Animalprint, and you will get a delightful autumn look, elegant and independent.
Dress Include
Red walls or furniture?
Most often, the role of the red “delegate” is played by upholstered furniture. A room with white, pistachio, ash, beige walls will be boring and faceless if you arrange furniture of a similar, too sedate tone. But add an extravagant red sofa, armchair or poufs - and see how it invigorates the atmosphere, making it rich and dynamic.
Red walls are far from taboo in a modern interior. Of course, a room in this color should be spacious and well lit in order to look festive and not ominous...
And it’s still not worth painting or pasting all four walls red. It’s better to decorate one, maximum two walls, which will become the concept of the whole room.
A very good idea is to create a red gallery, that is, paint part of the wall and place photographs, shelves with a collection or souvenirs against the background of this area. This technique will add chic and depth to the room and at the same time focus attention on the objects on display.
The combination of red with different colors in clothes
The key to a successful image depends on how correctly a woman chooses clothes according to her figure and how harmoniously she combines color palettes. Fashion is cyclical. What was in demand a decade ago may become trendy again. Luckily, red never goes out of style. Suitable for total looks, combined with a wide variety of shades.
When choosing a shade of red that can hide figure imperfections, pay attention to burgundy. Like black, it is very slimming. Highlight the body parts you want to highlight with bright red.
It's hard to imagine what shades red doesn't go well with. Even a tandem of red with crimson, pink, orange is possible, but in such cases the image must be thought out to the smallest detail, because the attention to a woman in such a bright outfit will be maximum. Also, avoid wearing dark red shades with other dark tones. For example, a combination of burgundy and dark blue, khaki, or dirty gray would not be the best option.
Bright and rich
A bright palette of red is perfect for summer. Coral, raspberry, scarlet, watermelon - shades of joy and fun. A coral dress looks great on a walk, on the beach, on a date. Bright colors can also complement another look. For example, a light garnet scarf will dilute an ensemble of calm tones. Bright colors are suitable as accessories: scarlet earrings, belts, handbags will add zest to the look.
Light and muted
By learning to combine colors correctly, you can create a unique style. Red looks great with muted sand, beige, and milky shades. The combination of red and pink creates a successful ensemble, especially if you combine fuchsia with coral or salmon. If you combine shades of the same color scheme, you should not add overly bright accessories to your look. Modest earrings, a simple bag and shoes will keep the look harmonious.
Achromatic
Using achromatic (neutral) colors together with red shades, it is difficult to spoil the image. Red in combination with white is considered royal and festive. Elements of red are found on wedding dresses. You can combine the entire palette of red with white. White blouses with garnet skirts, white trousers with coral tops go beautifully.
When trying to create an elegant outfit, you should use a gray and red combination. These shades do not “draw” attention, but, on the contrary, complement each other. Basic gray removes the excessive aggression of red. Combining black and red has a powerful effect. In this combination, you should not add a lot of small red elements. A red top with a black bottom looks beautiful and vice versa. Since both colors are bright, it is better to avoid additional accessories.
In which rooms is it suitable?
You can “prescribe” the color red in any room! The main thing is quantity and shades. In the hallway, hall, corridor - the color red will be like a greeting, a signal to guests that they are welcome here.
A red banquette, an umbrella stand or fireman-colored rubber boots left at the entrance will create an uplifting mood already on the threshold and will not spoil even the restrained Scandinavian design.
In the living room you need to choose one thing: either furniture, or a wall, or red decorative items. This will be enough for the interior to be perceived as red, but not irritating.
A red kitchen usually has red furniture and tiles. To prevent the room from turning into “Red Square” by Kazimir Malevich, the impulsive color is broken up with white.
White and red tiles, doors on kitchen cabinets and glossy red chairs are a completely sufficient set for a kitchen with a red “character”.
The bathroom also has the right to red shades. These could be poppies on the facing tiles, plastic fittings, a curtain, a rug - among such little things, the shower will become especially “summer”, regardless of whether it is raining or snowing outside the window.
Red color in the bedroom interior is a debatable issue. The reason is that this color does not lull or relax. However, he is an indispensable participant in love games and amorous adventures. Therefore, to the question, is red color needed in the relaxation room and, if so, in what quantity? — there can be no definite answer. It all depends on the owners of the bedroom, their character, relationships.
Need it? - Then choose the appropriate bed linen: what could be more magical than crimson flowers on silk as black as night...
Stylish looks with red for every girl
Modern fashion allows you to experiment with colors, textures and styles. You can create interesting ensembles by combining red with clothes in contrasting colors. You need to learn how to choose fashionable red shades as prints or patterns. The most passionate images are obtained in combination of red with its other shades. For example, scarlet and fuchsia, garnet and rich brick, marsala and pink. The combination of white, scarlet and blue has already become a classic. Blue and red look good. Coral with aquamarine, electric blue with ruby - always a relevant combination.
Red color will always remain relevant. You shouldn't be afraid of him, but you should respect him. An incorrectly selected shade will reveal skin imperfections. If there are problem areas on your face, it is better to avoid tops of this shade. And vice versa - burgundy, marsala, cherry will help hide figure flaws. At any age, using the red palette you can create a unique ensemble.
Red color in the interior: shades and combinations
Yes, you don’t see classic red in a modern home very often. But brick and terracotta shades are, one might say, regulars, especially in hallways and living rooms. In fact, decorative brickwork, so beloved by many, will provide ample presence of dull red.
As an alternative, we can recommend coral, purple, scarlet tones: they are not as provocative as the classic shade, but are not inferior to it in elegance.
Fragments of wine-red color look very impressive in the house - a sofa, for example, or a carpet. This shade exudes nobility and tradition.
First of all, red color is combined with white, which cools it and balances it. In addition, with the help of a white-red combination, you can visually expand the room, zone it, and create the illusion of niches and protrusions. And if you add a little black to red and white, you get an absolutely balanced, voluminous interior.
Some shades of red are combined with others when decorating a home in a catchy ethnic style: Indian, African, Moorish. Scarlet and pink, cherry and lilac, crimson and yellow - such combinations are also suitable for children's rooms and for interiors in the style of romanticism.
A tandem of muted red with noble brown or light gray can be used when furnishing a house in the English style.
Red “flares” look stylish, although unexpected, next to each other or against a background of blue or azure. And red and green are generally an amazing combination, since both colors mute each other and support each other.
How to choose red according to your appearance color type
Red is one of those colors that suits everyone, but with a slight adjustment: red needs to be chosen correctly to suit your color type. Sometimes it happens that a woman with ideal parameters tries on a red dress that fits her figure, but does not decorate her at all. In order not to spend hours searching for your style, and even a palette, you should immediately determine your color type of appearance, find out which tones suit it, and which colors are combined with red for a certain appearance.
Red can be a treacherous color. If there are rashes or spots on the skin, it will only emphasize them. Owners of dull hair should also choose red hair with caution.
Spring
Women of the “spring” color type have natural, often light hair, for example, light brown or honey. They have thin translucent skin. The spring girl is not prone to tanning; she would rather get sunburned than show off tanned skin. The eyes are blue, green, but light in color. These are fragile ladies with a delicate blush and pink lips. Celebrities who fit this type: Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Duff.
Of course, red is the color for “spring.” Stylists do not recommend women of this color type wear too dark tones, although opinions differ about the dark red palette. Dark wine, burgundy, and garnet are best worn in combination with other colors. Undoubtedly, the most advantageous option for the “spring” color type is red with a splash of orange. Brick, scarlet, coral can be safely included in your wardrobe.
When considering the combination of colors in clothes for a spring girl, it would be optimal to combine red with light tones of beige, milky, and gray.
Summer
Women of the “summer” color type have a calm appearance, devoid of contrasts. The skin of “summer” is not afraid of the sun, it becomes bronze, the hair is a natural color, mostly dark shades of light brown. Girls of the “summer” type sometimes mistakenly consider their appearance to be inexpressive. This is not entirely true. They often look like real aristocrats. A clear example of “summer”: Milla Jovovich, Jennifer Aniston, Keira Knightley, Natalia Vodianova.
“Summer” women can safely wear almost the entire palette of red. Pomegranate, wine, reddish-raspberry highlight the advantages of this type. Girls of the “summer” type are recommended to use red in makeup and manicure - the bright color will add zest to a woman’s calm appearance.
Autumn
Girls of the “autumn” type have an even skin tone, prone to tanning. Often the skin is dotted with freckles. Often, “autumn” women can boast of natural curls in their hair in rich tones, sometimes with hints of red and copper. Eyes are often green, light brown, amber. The most famous representatives of the “autumn” type: Julianne Moore, Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain. These are ladies with reddish hair, expressive eyes, regardless of color.
For “autumn”, bright red is suitable - coral, scarlet, brick, which are still in fashion. Women of this color type can easily choose red as their main color, wear dresses or skirts in bright colors, or use tones of red as an accent to the main ensemble.
Julia Roberts
Winter
The main characteristic of the “winter” color type is contrast. Women are bright, memorable, spectacular beauties. Girls of the “winter” type have skin of an even tone without flaws, sensual lips, and often dark hair. The main emphasis is on the eyes. Regardless of color, they are expressive and attract attention. The most famous representatives of the “winter” type: Liv Tyler, Penelope Cruz, Monica Bellucci, Megan Fox.
What color suits women of the “winter” type? Almost all shades of red perfectly highlight the beauty of such women. Still, stylists advise leaving the choice to pure red, burgundy, and garnet.
Monica Bellucci
Let's add flavor to the kitchen
The red color in the kitchen interior gives the opportunity to let your design skills run wild. In the kitchen it goes well with any shade, no matter green or yellow, or maybe a calmer beige or gray color; in the kitchen you can make all your fantasies come true.
Covering the walls with bright red tiles will brighten up the design; you can also purchase a kitchen set, table, chairs or other items in bright colors.
For more restrained natures, small details such as cups, knives, salad bowls, jugs, paintings, watches, and so on are suitable. The bright gloss, reminiscent of the peel of fruits and vegetables, looks very impressive and adds the proper style to the kitchen decoration.
Psychologists say: the color red evokes a feeling of hunger, so it is very appropriate in the kitchen and has a beneficial effect on your family’s appetite.
Red color in the interior is very popular among bathroom and toilet decoration. It adds a modern touch and is perfect for young couples. The classic version of these rooms using bright shades of red is considered to be a combination with white, beige or gray.
Only you can set the amount of red in the interior of your rooms, choose the required combination, determine which shade will prevail and create an original design. As an experiment, stick red wallpaper on one wall; if the result and sensations are pleasing, continue to bring red into your worldview.
Painting the walls red or adding minor but eye-catching items to the interior is up to you.
Now you know what shades red goes with. By following the tips in this article, you will be able to bring your ideas to life using your favorite color in the interior of the rooms. Don’t be afraid to experiment and combine bright and subdued shades; emphasize your individuality through the unique design of your living space.
Related article: Purple color - royal luxury in the home (+50 photos)
