Red can be a pretty intense colour
February 17, 2012
Glen Peloso
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
When I was just in Grade 4, I was excited because I could write a Valentine’s Day cards for everyone in my class and hand them out with a Sweet Tart that said something creative like “Be Mine.” It seems a shame to wait until Feb. 14 to express your feelings — and to need a card company to give you the words. The other thing that bothers me is that the whole day seems to have stolen — or at the very least borrowed — the colour red.
It is somewhat understandable as red is considered to be the most emotionally intense colour — it does stimulate a faster heartbeat and breathing. It certainly isn’t a colour that is easily overlooked or ignored — just take a look at fire trucks, stop signs and brake lights — and statistically it is the most popular colour of car colour for thieves. Red is a colour that attracts attention and is a fantastic colour for any room in the house.
Historically, red has been used for many reasons and not all of them are positive. “Seeing red” would be an indication of extreme anger, and in ancient Rome it was a colour that meant to “go” into battle. For the Russians it means “beautiful” and was the colour used for the Bolshevik flag when they overthrew the czar in 1917. (Incidentally, that is how red became the colour of communism.)
It is the colour for an solider in India, of mourning in South Africa and for the superstitious it is meant to scare the devil, and the last thing any business wants to be is “in the red.” On the other side, it is the colour of luck to the Chinese and is used at holidays and weddings and in Greece red-dyed eggs are given for good luck. We say “paint the town red,” which means extreme celebrations, a “red-letter day” is a day of good fortune, and is the most common colour used for national flags.
The colour isn’t easy to make as it isn’t a stable colour. Henna, made with plants and roots, was mixed with alum but the red was far less intense then we now have. The Aztecs made red dye from the female bodies of cochineal insects, which are still used today for food colouring and fabric dyes. It requires about 70,000 insects for one pound of dye and is one of the largest exports for Mexico after silver. The dyes require the use of fixative to make an insoluble colour that will remain true. If you have ever washed a new red shirt, you know how easily the colour bleeds.
It’s one of my favourite colours in home decor because it attracts attention. The intensity of the colour calls our eye to it from the moment we walk into a room and gives us a “starting point.” It provides the space energy as well as a feeling of safety. When a space has too many points of interest, our eyes dart from one point to another and create a sense of panic. The intensity of red offers a clear starting point, hence the darting eye is calmed as it moves from element to element.
It is also a colour that creates intimacy and occasionally a whole room can be painted in a warm red. The dining room is one of the rooms that is often used with low lighting and the warm glow of candles. Creating a room that is both somewhat dark and aesthetically “close” helps to create that feeling of intimacy. Deep reds can also be a pleasing colour as an accent wall in a bedroom. Whether you use the colour in a detailed wallpaper or as a solid colour for a featured wall, the depth of colour gives a feeling of warmth and intimacy, which is what you hope for in the bedroom.
I like to use red for accessories — pieces of glass in a bright red can offer excitement to coffee tables, side tables or on a mantle
Traditional Persian rugs filled with deep reds can be wonderful to ground the furniture in a room. I don’t suggest red as a flooring colour, like the red cherry-stained floors that have been used in the past. Even in wood furniture, red (like mahogany) should be a detail as opposed to the base colour. Red works best in the home as a “spice” not as “a flavour.”
Selecting red can be a bit of a trick and you certainly don’t want too primary a colour unless you are creating a kids play area. It’s best to use a deep red on the walls and slightly brighter when you are using it as an accent. Benjamin Moore’s “Rapture” is one that I really like and have used effectively in the past. In accents, you can use any red you are attracted to.
If you ask me, I think that every room should have some element of red —a throw cushion, an accessory, a carpet or an entire wall. It is a very effective colour to create a sense of excitement, passion and good design.
I have to admit that I still kind of like the “be mine” Sweet Tarts, but I certainly don’t miss some of those Grade 4 girls saying “eeewww! I would never kiss you!” Fortunately, in Grade 4, simply being “a boy” created revulsion. Later in life, Sweet Tart messages were much more effective!
Glen Peloso is a designer who hosts HGTV’s Restaurant Makeover and Take This House and Sell It, is the design editor of Home Décor & Renovations magazine and a regular contributor to Canadian Home Trends and Revive magazines. Glen appears every two weeks in New in Homes & Condos. You can contact him through his website www.glenpelosointeriors.com, follow him on Twitter at @peloso1 or on Facebook.