Red Surprise!



"Along the Dog Walk"
B.E. Interiors Photography



"Red Splendor"
B.E. Interiors Photography

"Red Berries"
B.E. Interiors Photography

Surprise! You thought I wouldn't be doing a posting this week...didn't you?! O.k. truth be told, I'm not. This is a scheduled post because I just can't leave you hanging for a solid week. That's just wrong! I love you guys too much:)

So, I thought I would use this week to do some simple inspiration posts. I'm currently working on a furture weekly series on being inspired. I'll leave you wondering and waiting with that:) For this week, I've scheduled different dominant colors and inspiration pictures using it. Enjoy!

Before we start, here's a quick review of some color theory. If you look at the color directly across from it on the color wheel, that is the complimentary color. They intensify each other whereas close together on the color wheel (analogous or monochromatic) are more calming. The warmer the color the more energetic it is and vice versa. Here's fun little rule of thumb:

Sticking close to friends and near family is comfortable and relaxing (i.e. colors close together on the wheel), but going cross country is new territory and stimulating and can possibly exhaust you after a while (complimentary colors)!

 

Introducing our color of the day, which you probably guessed from the pictures:

RED!

There are many shades of red. It's one of those colors that you have to be careful with because it's INTENSE. Some like it hot, other's not so much. There's not a right shade, but there are right ways to use it. Careful attention has to be paid to the rest of the colors in the room, not just paint and fabric...for instance red toned wood, floors, views out the room (i.e. red brick). It also needs a balance with a fair amount of light tones to counteract the intensity. Black and white are classic combinations, but cream also works well. It softens the intensity while white tends to enhance. Another color that will intensify red is it's complimentary color...green. This would be true with any color.

Check out just a few of the shades available out there:




via Your Decorating Hot Line

 A couple of these images were pulled from a great post on using red that would be well worth your while to look up at Your Decorating Hot Line blog.

Fantastic idea for just a perfect pop of color via Elle Decor.



Vibrant and warm by Candice Olson.



Subtle touches by Sarah Richardson.



Frenchy and fairly intense, yet all the wood and cream balance it.
via Decor Magazine 2004





Red as an accent color via Southern Living.

 

Red as the very dominant color and even enhanced with greenery,
yet balanced with cream, black and yellow toned wood.
via Southern Living



Furniture accents via Southern Living.




Earthy red and one of my favorites by Sarah Richardson.




Great front door and accents of red.
Another favorite via Southern Living.



Do  you like red? I went through a red phase a few years ago, and then had to purge it all after moving here. I'm finding I'm just now starting to like it again after 3 years! It's a strong color, so think long and hard about using it in large or concentrated doses. As much as I love color, red is what finally made me realize I needed fairly neutral surroundings! Don't even get me started with what it does to kids or to your grocery bill!