Modern home furnishing professionals are constantly surprising us with interesting ideas. Without their unique discoveries in the field of design, progress would slow down, and people's curiosity would lose ground for this widespread feeling. Among the innovations that are constantly being replicated in magazines, you can often see burgundy wood in all its attractiveness.
The fashion for this material is associated with the ancient times of the Middle Ages, where respect for this magnificent texture of the original shade solution originates, which became the impetus for the emergence of several style solutions at the same time.
About color in science and folklore
The color is similar to the notes. And this is not surprising. After all, in both cases we are dealing with waves of sound and light. This means that the shades cannot be perceived the same. If in a piano part we talk about the pitch and speed of playback, then in understanding color the musical concept of “intensity” is applicable.
Many epithets can be used to describe interiors that competently combine many colors and textures. For the viewer, designs such as melody are heterogeneous, requiring time to read and perceive.
Living room with vibrant textiles and art
Living room with red furniture and painting
Each color has its own perception characteristics. Thanks to them, tones are often mystified. Although you should believe only scientifically oriented research and not put shades in the “taboo” category without understanding the nuances.
In reading color, an interesting category of human perception plays a role - symbolism. This is a sociocultural feature associated with the functions of the brain’s reflection of reality. Our consciousness processes the flow of information through codes and patterns. Every time we don’t think about the composition and shape of our favorite cake, we immediately perceive it as tasty. We do not talk about color as a wave generated by a flow of particles of a certain length and energy content. We see shades like this: bright, neutral, sad, joyful, boring, clean, obsessive. Other adjectives from our associations will also work.
Red is a traditional wedding color in China.
That is why the most saturated colors, which appear in many cultures, should be carefully used when creating an interior. After all, we are dealing not only with textiles, a can of paint or wallpaper, but also with a psychological “code”.
Not all properties of flowers have actually been proven. Half of them are a kind of placebo, based on beliefs and triggers. The perception of shades is also influenced by the memories of a particular person. However, psychological comfort definitely depends on all these factors. Therefore, when developing an interior design project, it is important to know the “history” of the homeowners and respect their requests.
Red color on the veranda in decoration and accessories
Burgundy sofa in the kitchen-living room in the apartment
Spreading
Most mahogany species grow in the tropics - in South and Southeast Asia, on the islands of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, in South and Central America, in East Africa. Complete intolerance to negative temperatures is typical for these plants; they die already at -1 °C. The quality of wood is greatly influenced by the conditions in which trees grow - air temperature, humidity, soil composition, neighboring species, etc. It is rare to find any of the redwoods in the wild, although they are protected.
Red color in the walls of rooms and in open spaces
Associations are what a culture full of symbols is built on. Red in the subconscious is, first of all, fire and luminary.
When the Slavic tribes professed paganism, and the Russian language was just emerging, the color red had the meaning of “beautiful.” Because he was like the sun.
The range of emotions that this color evokes to this day includes comfort and warmth, brightness and festivity, challenge and aggression. Like fire, tone can create a homey feel or be disruptive.
In nature, red is very attractive. This is the color of berries, flowers and fresh blood. Which means it is equally appetizing and dangerous. In addition, the color red is a kind of metaphor for vulnerability. Therefore, not all details of a bold interior can be put on public display.
Peculiarities of perception. Psychology
The color red carries the symbolism of love, danger, courage, and fire.
Like no other inhabitant of the color wheel, it attracts attention and has a very strong psychological impact on a person. Staying in rooms with a dominance of red can increase blood pressure, make people with weak psyches irritable and hot-tempered, and make active children completely uncontrollable. For this reason, you will most likely never see an interior made entirely in this color. Often we try to combine red and other desired colors and, as a rule, the result is a very lively interior. What is the “portrait” of a person who prefers scarlet color?
Red is the choice of brave people who live an active and vibrant life, have many hobbies and sometimes have a bit of madness.
Red in the design of verandas and terraces
Red on the street will create a feeling of raging flames and a charming sunset. Here the warmth of the color is dissipated and is not so difficult for the eyes to perceive. But it’s still better to concentrate the shade in the form of accents. There shouldn't be too much red even on the street.
Advice! In an open gazebo, you can make the pillows on the benches red. Or choose bright blankets with patterns of a different color. For example, gold.
Red candles, “berry” wreaths, and any textiles are appropriate on the terrace. And the veranda allows for a more detailed, subtle distribution of color. Here you can combine red with cool tones: white, milky, turquoise. The accents will be not only candles and textiles, but also floor coverings. For example, woolen carpets, photo frames on the walls.
To prevent the design from being provocative, the accents should be minimalistic or Scandinavian in style. Turn on the geometry game, avoid trivial solutions.
To create coziness in a gazebo or on a terrace, it is better to combine red with natural materials and colors. For example, wooden tables and benches will be in harmony with a bright accent. But in closed spaces, combinations with shades of a cold palette and metal are appropriate.
Red sofas on the veranda with a fireplace
Red carved wooden table
Burgundy contours of glazing and terraces
Red inside the house and apartment
If red on the street is an attempt to find safety and dialogue with nature, then inside the home it is a message within our culture. The color can even be very “loud”. So good at luxurious minimalism. See how effectively red and blue designer furniture, carpet, and bright walls harmonize.
Blue and burgundy in the living room interior
Red sofa on high legs in a room with a painting with birds
Red interior details in the apartment
Important! Red color can be a convenient tool not only for accenting, but also for zoning space into several functional areas.
Bright furniture and textiles in a loft apartment
Red steps and chair
Combination of red and shades of blue in the interior
Even small red accents add clarity and contrast to the interior.
The bright tone looks great when combined with modern materials. For example, plastic. Use techniques such as layering and crushing. For example, serving and furnishings of the kitchen with “talking” accents, original decorative lighting, screens made of red fabric.
Multi-colored living room interior
Living room interior with modern art and rich colors
What is the best color to combine with red?
Red is a very rich and difficult color to perceive. Therefore, bright details must be strictly functional. If a wall or part of the floor is red, the interior will look overloaded and unclear. But bright pillows, poufs, decorative items or dishes will become accents that are quite appropriate in any design. It doesn’t matter whether we are dealing with a large or cramped room. If the rules of functionality are followed and the design is not overloaded, red will be appropriate everywhere.
Red is part of the spectrum and follows the rules of the color chart. In the photo you see Itten's formulas and circles. With their help, you will learn how to correctly combine shades.
Color wheels and formulas
An example of a combination of shades according to the color wheel
How to combine colors in the interior
The most juicy and contrasting combination is provided by two colors located opposite on the color wheel. If we are talking about the harmony of three tones, most often the isosceles triangle rule comes into play. That is, you need to select colors from the vertex points. Such an ensemble will always be contrasting and harmonious.
Another combination of three tones is complementary. It implies two colors located next to each other on the circle and one shade opposite. The effect will be softer than in the isosceles triangle system.
Shades of red, blue and green in wall decoration, textiles, lamps and decor create a rhythmic, stylish interior
The designer selects colors for decoration
From two to five adjacent colors of the circle is a very calm juxtaposition of tones in the interior. The four extreme points of the square are another scheme of contrasting play.
Yellow and terracotta in a modern apartment
Red cabinet in a loft kitchen
Advice! We recommend exploring tools for creating stylish accents using different shades.
Transitional shades
Intermediate tones are a compromise for small apartments. If you don’t want to make the interior white or beige, and dark things clutter up the space too much, look for something in between. Almost all suitable shades will be warm, with varying degrees of saturation. They fill the apartment with light. Furniture with this color does not look as bulky as ebony or mahogany. These are the colors:
- Cherry (reddish-red)
- Alder (beige-red).
- Rustic oak (medium brown).
We have listed all the main colors of wood and imitations for it. If we talk about chipboard and MDF with lamination, then the spread is even greater. In addition to the listed natural shades, there are green, gray, purple, with the effect of steel, concrete and titanium. Some colors of laminated chipboard for furniture with names in the photo.
Red in the design of different rooms in the house and apartment
Depending on the purpose, layout and size of the room, color occurrences can be global or point-specific. However, you should always respect the overall design concept of the room and apartment.
Red in the living room interior: elements of paintings, pillows and bars
Red pashmina as an accent on the bed
Red chest of drawers in a warm bedroom in ethnic style
Bedroom in red
Although a modern bedroom can be designed in any style and with the selected degree of dynamism, it is better not to give red free rein. This color, according to research by psychologists, has disinhibiting properties. This means it can prevent you from falling asleep and be too annoying in the first hours after waking up.
Red headboard, textiles and curtains
Shades of red in the bedroom with Roman blinds and wedges
Combination of red with other shades in the bedroom
White bedroom with red beds and floral armchair
If you are planning red accents in the bedroom, make them “neighbors” with softer shades of the spectrum. For example, as in a boho-style interior. Appropriate accents in the bedroom are candles, textiles, a table, a console or a coffee table.
Red in the living and dining rooms
In rooms with high traffic, red color is appropriate in large quantities. Here, one of the brightest shades of the spectrum can work as a “start” button - become a local start to the perception of the interior as a whole.
The secret to red's appropriateness is balance. One accent in a light or white room will become noticeable and interesting. However, whether it will be comfortable is an open question.
Interiors in the 70s, 80s and 90s often included kitsch and colorful art elements. In the fashion spirit of those decades, the emphasis was often not on comfort. Today this trend is somewhat outdated. The trend for decorating living rooms and dining rooms is minimalism, hygge, and boho.
Red pouf in the living room with a blue wall
Scarlet sofa in the living room
Red sofas in loft and modern style interiors
Shades of red in furniture
Red wall in the living room and red dining set
Red wooden chairs in the dining room near the stairs
Advice! If the item is original, uniqueness may trump functionality. An interesting chair, armchair or console can become the main figure in the selected area of the home. Often such details act not only as furniture, but also as art objects.
Bright colors often go well together in room design. For example, one red frame on the wall can be balanced by five others of a different shade. In the decor, lemon, cornflower blue, white, turquoise, and blue are in good harmony with red.
Red wardrobe options
Scarlet and criola in dressing rooms
Red wall and wardrobe niche
Accent in the dressing room
Red in dressing room design
In the dressing room, red can be interpreted as an element of burlesque. The deep color is suitable for a modern embodiment of the Provence direction or interpretation of the styles of Madame Pompadour and Marie Antoinette. Poufs, island chests of drawers, shelving units, hangers, track lights, floor coverings, paintings or mirror frames can be bright.
Traditional elements executed in an unusual color will look original. For example, red glass pendants of a crystal chandelier, a bright retro telephone, a dressing table.
Coral apron in a kitchen with a blue wall
Red chairs, a chest of drawers and a wall in a cozy kitchen-living room
Red kitchen with built-in appliances
Red wall in loft style and red toaster
Shades of red in the kitchen and bathroom
In the bathroom and kitchen, rich color is appropriate because of its natural inclusion in the functionality of the premises. Red here is like in products - the most familiar, interesting and usually delicious. Therefore, the tone can be introduced into the mosaic of the apron, dishes, textiles (for example, towels, potholders and even curtains).
Red and white kitchen with black bar stools on metal
Kitchen with red cabinets and accents
Minimalist kitchen in Scandinavian style with red chairs, furniture and decor elements
In the loft kitchen, red accents are placed using dishes and an authentic brick wall
Kitchens with red wall decoration, furniture and decor
Advice! Using lighting fixtures it is easy to create a red glow in the bathroom and kitchen. Flows passing through the prism of glass and plastic shades will become excellent accents in the design of the premises.
The kitchen space can be edited with small red elements: a jug of sangria, a vase of bright fruit, dishes, flowers in a vase. The more interesting the details, the more harmonious and complete the interior.
In the bathroom, red looks good in shades close to natural: coral, terracotta. Here you can “push off from the seabed” - choose the color tones of bright fish or amazing reefs. Or “come in from the shore” - prefer a style in the spirit of Morocco, where in addition to red, colors such as blue and bronze are required.
Total red in the bathroom with two shades of color on the walls, frames and contrasting flooring
Bathroom in red tiles with steps
Red and multi-colored mosaic on the walls and floor in the bathroom
Bathroom with red bathtub and red tiles on walls and molding
Burgundy walls in the bathroom, as well as a burgundy countertop with sinks and a self-leveling scarlet floor
White bathroom with basin and red elements
White and red loft-style bathroom with burgundy textiles and furniture
Bathroom with red mosaic and canopy
Terracotta and red elements in bathrooms
Bathroom with terracotta wall and loft bath
Advice! The perception of shades of red can be enhanced by using scents associated with this color. A good solution is berry scents. Candles, incense, and flowers will help bring the idea to life. The combination of aroma and color will make the image of the room more full and deep.
Red in a children's interior
Red in the interior of a children's or playroom takes on a slightly different meaning than in a design aimed at adults. Symbolically, the bright tone here denotes beauty and vigor.
Red goes well with both small geometric shapes and simple analog shapes. For example, toy fruits and vegetables from the alphabet, cartoon characters.
Red accents should be the same as we see them on the pages of children's books. For example, this is Paddington Bear's hat, Signor Tomato, and Riding Hood's red cloak. That is, simple and understandable. In combination with a monochrome design, red will fit perfectly into the interiors of rooms even for the little ones.
A room for a super hero with red styling elements, red textiles, an armchair and a contrasting coated wall
Children's room in red stripes with a red pouf
Children's room with a scarlet rocking chair in high-tech style and bright accents
White children's room with a partition and a red armchair
Children's room with a bright armchair and a stylish red lamp
For older children, red can be part of embodying a vision of the world. However, in any case, this color should be introduced into the design of rooms as a rich accent.
Red living room in a house with a decorative fireplace, red armchairs, textiles and Roman blinds
Red coworking space in metal
Red wall-storage area in the hallway and attic bath
Room decoration
- Kitchen. Red awakens the appetite and is often used as an accent apron for the owners, or as a tabletop. Usually combined with gray, light colors.
- Bathroom. You can paint a wall in the bathroom with red, or use it if the room is too large.
- Living room. It can be decorated with red curtains or furniture covers, and can also be combined with gold, wood and velvet.
- Bedroom. This room should not be made too bright as it is a place to relax.
- Children's room. This color is completely unsuitable for small children, but quite suitable for teenagers. You just need to use it carefully, making only accents.
- Hallway. To prevent the room from seeming boring, it needs to be filled with good lighting.
All red: cardinal display of color
The total introduction of bright colors into the interior is possible. But this solution looks best in combination with balancing contrasts. For example, a white or coated wall, a plain light floor. The main thing is that the design does not look aggressive.
Color accents: a red refrigerator, a bright painting and a traditional oriental rug
Red Smeg refrigerator and yellow chairs in a monochrome kitchen
Burgundy Smeg refrigerator in a small loft-style kitchen with coated walls around the window
Red appliances and furniture
The world of interior solutions has its own trends and unusual representatives. An example is a brand that has created a unique style of refrigerators. We are talking about the Smeg brand. Home refrigerators, covered in fur and decorated with the English flag, are the most famous variations of the technique. Red is one of the classic colors for the brand’s models. Bright and bold refrigerators have quickly become one of the top expensive and fashionable retro items for home furnishings.
Now about the furniture. Sometimes the inclusion of color in an interior can be natural. For example, using furniture made of natural wood in red shades.
Table, sofa and wall, as well as textiles in various shades of red
Cornflower blue and white living room and red chest of drawers
Red chest of drawers and bureau in a monochrome room with red textiles
Advice! You can put together an interesting ensemble of items of similar functionality. For example, a large dining table made of natural light wood will go perfectly with chairs of different sizes, including red ones.
The reference to folklore also works outside of time. Just a red chest of drawers is an option for a minimalist solution that will require a complex “fit” into the interior. But a red wooden chest of drawers will be easier to adapt. Especially if in combination with wood there will be elements made from natural materials in other shades. For example, fabric and leather loop handles. Then a red wooden chest of drawers in folk style with traditional ornaments will automatically become the cultural heritage of the room. He simply cannot be inappropriate.
Red accent chairs in the dining area, as well as art accents above the sofa.
Art objects in a bright two-story living room and a red coffee table
Objects of art can transform a typical home into an art space and add a unique flavor. Here again we will have to turn to symbols. If we present to the viewers of our micro-gallery a figurine, a wooden product in a traditional style or an avant-garde painting, then the energy of these things will “settle” in the room. The same thing will happen with red abstract paintings, objects of modern art, and shocking exhibits. It is important that there is space left for the experiences and emotions of the room owners. Otherwise, gallery spaces will seem uncomfortable.
Dark shades of red on the verge of lilac and burgundy in blue and blue with green living rooms
The red sofa gently balances the asymmetry of the space in front of the stairs, as if contrasting the descent and dynamics of the steps with the bright color of the furniture
Bathroom with burgundy walls in a classic style
Combination of red, blue and marsh colors in the bedroom
Floors
Wood floors are the most common option. Here you can find laminate, cork, and parquet floors. It's all about taste and price range. For example, if you lay laminate flooring in a diagonal direction, this will visually increase the space of the room.
Read here: DIY artificial flowers - the best original home interior design ideas
If you are tired of brown and beige shades of the floor, then we hasten to please you that the color scheme can be very different from white to red.
