Decorating with red – 10 ways to use this versatile color

There are many options when it comes to decorating with red. One of the most passionate and life-enhancing colors to use in a decorating scheme, red offers a luxurious bank of positive energy.

Whether you highlight an interior design scheme with touches of carefully chosen accessories or paint walls floor to ceiling in a deep shade of this versatile color, it can transform interiors and create different moods – from refined to playful – depending on its application.

In moderation, primary reds work well in children’s rooms, while more sophisticated, darker reds – such as madder and cochineal – make welcoming backdrops for dining rooms and hallways. Scarlet reds that have a touch of orange in them, offer a cosy fireside appeal for living rooms.

Choosing how and where to use red as part of your room color can create completely different effects. Color-drenching with red walls and matching upholstery as red room ideas offers a fully immersive effect. In contrast, dialing down the red percentage to a succinct trim on white bedlinen or to the leading edge of a curtain as a red bedroom idea can be equally as thrilling.

Whether you're looking to redesign an entire room or to introduce elements of red into an existing scheme, these expert ideas, and tips on decorating with red will help guide you in making the best choices for your space.

BY PIPPA BLENKINSOP. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM RACHEL CROW