There’s no denying that the color red made a big splash this year, and we happily leaned in! These are all the ways we’ve used red in our home, along with a round up of red accents you can easily incorporate into your home.
In This Post
The Unexpected Red Theory
If you’re reading this, chances are, you’ve heard of the Unexpected Red Theory. It simply suggest that red, when used in interiors, can instantly uplift and elevate any room in your home. Well, call us believers, because after installing a red kitchen, we couldn’t stop.
Red has always been one of my favorite colors (I’m a warm-color-girl, always preferring red, mustard, gold and terracotta to blues or greens), so when the color red exploded onto the scene this past year, it was very thrilling! Suddenly, I was seeing red interiors popping up on my social media feed, providing endless inspiration and more ways to use red in our Chicago home. Shall we take a tour?
Where We’ve Used Warm Reds
If we’re talking about the color wheel, red is already considered a warm color, but there is a big difference in reds that lean warm (with more yellow undertones) versus reds that lean cool (with more blue undertones, leaning slightly purple). Our kitchen is a great example of warm red!
Our kitchen cabinets are Sherwin-Williams Reddened Earth, a medium red tone with yellow undertones. Throughout the day, they can appear rose-y pink to terracotta to muddy brown. This color is a true chameleon that receives bright sunlight most of the day.
Recently, we painted our entire second floor family red a bold warm red, Benjamin Moore Brickyard Clay. I have to say that the color in person is much more accurate to our photo below, which shows how it looks with bright indirect daylight. It was both a terrifying yet exhilarating choice, and I am so glad we took the plunge!
Where We’ve Used Bold Reds
I blame the vintage rug in our living room for further continuing the red theme in our Chicago home (and hey, no complaints!). During an outing at our favorite, approachable design warehouse, Design at 329, we spotted this rug rolled up in a lonely corner:
And if you give a mouse a cookie, well, once you lay down a red rug in the living room and have red cabinetry in the kitchen, it only makes sense to add a red credenza to the dining room, too!
We work from home at our dining table, and we needed a credenza with ample storage to contain our laptops, cameras, Lucy’s school supplies and more. We DIY-ed this from kitchen cabinetry and painted it Sherwin-William’s Red Theatre.
Where We’ve Used Deep Reds
Earlier this year, our bedroom got a moody makeover. More photos here! To be fair, it went from navy to a deep, rich red when we painted the walls Benjamin Moore’s Bewitched.
This added a wonderful thread of red throughout our whole home, from the kitchen below to the family room nearby, and ultimately to our primary bedroom. It feels very luxe and relaxing! You can see all the red paint colors we considered right here.
Adding Red Accents to Your Home
We’ve incorporated red using rugs, furniture, kitchen cabinetry and painted walls, but even small accents can make a surprising impact! Below, we’ve rounded up a handful of items that easily add a pretty little splash of red, whether it be muted red, cherry or rust.
1. red stand mixer | 2. scallop lamp shade | 3. scallop napkin set | 4. red picture frame | 5. lacquer accent table | 6. tissue box cover | 7. mars rover blanket | 8. cotton velvet pillow cover | 9. mushroom table lamp | 10. scallop side table | 11. red cabinet knobs | 12. jules merlot rug | 13. stillwater floral quilt | 14. cylinder double sconce | 15. brick faux mohair throw pillow | 16. herringbone plaid flannel duvet set
Looking for more red inspiration? See more photos of our bedroom, living room, dining room, family room and kitchen. And don’t forget to check out this round up of moody red paint colors! If you see something you like, you can also shop our home here.
