Design Dilemma: Red Bedrooms

Martha asks, “How can I use red in my bedroom? It’s my favorite color and I’d like to use it everywhere. But how much is too much?”

It’s true that red rooms are a bit more difficult to tackle. Intense colors are stimulating, which is why red is often saved for restaurants, dining rooms, and other public spaces. But having said that, the truth is red can be used in any room. In a bedroom the results can be dramatic. And sometimes we could all use a little extra stimulation.

The important thing is to follow a few basic design principles.

First, know who you are. If you’re adventurous, you might like sleeping in a room with all four walls painted a red-orange room like this one. But most of us would find such a saturated color too blinding. Red-orange shades are more reflective and, therefore, harder on the eyes. This makes it difficult to do things like read a book, which many of us do before sleeping. Also, such bold saturation will affect all other colors, including your make-up and clothing.

Paint just one wall and coordinate with accessories. If you’re really into a red-orange (or a warm red) painting an accent wall this color is a good choice.

Choose a cool red. This means one that has more blue in it. A cool red, like a raspberry, is much easier on the eyes.

Add contrast. White offers a wonderful contrast to the boldness of red. Paint the ceiling white and use white bedding. Also, here only part of the wall is red. Adding a frieze with a pattern will give you the bright, bold color you want without the need for sunglasses.

Play with pattern and texture. Here, a beautiful toile de jouy wallpaper, in a cool red, works nicely with the pattern on the bedspread. The gray accent color also offers the contrast I spoke of earlier. This room is soft and inviting.

Red is a wonderful color. I say go for it. Try a few shades on some sample boards and look at them in the room. Once you know what you’re going for you can select your bedding and other textiles. Choose the actual paint color last. Good luck and don’t forget to send me the photos of your finished project.