Sunday, August 15, 2010

Seeing red



An eye popper. Loaded with energy. Regal. Commanding. Red is certainly a high voltage color.

Wouldn't these descriptions all be appropriate for this Fortuny dress?


Silk by Mary Schoeser   Photo by Claudio Franzini


Red is seen in nature everywhere.





Using red in your home is a consideration that you would give much thought to. You can start off in small doses with accessories...


 Interiors Now by Angelika Taschen  Photo by David Hiepler & Fritz Brunier


This charming screen could be placed most anywhere.


H&G 10-06     Screen by Edelman Metalworks

Getting braver, the red jolts of color nicely compliment the robin's egg blue walls and deep purple accents of the bedding. The purple and red join in the rug to pull it all together.





Deciding to color your walls is next. In Italy, this would be a no brainer. Get out the red ochre pigment and start brushing.  


 Mediterranean Color   Book and photo by Jeffrey Becom

 

In the office setting, the red Venetian plaster is a rich addition to the otherwise contemporary, but sedate design. 





The random gold leaf applied to this red wall dresses up the dark color in an exciting way.


 Art & Decoration   November-December 2003  



Here, red foil is first applied to the wall and then stained to achieve the depth you see. Tammy Anthony, of Buford, Georgia, is the decorative artist who designed this finish.

 credit 


In this bath, the beautifully peaceful stencil is on top of a wall finished with a mixture of acrylic wax and a water-based stain.



credit        Artist unknown



This red marbleized wallpaper beautifully complements the powder room's antique fixtures. The paper is called Pheasant in Orange by Twigs, available at John Roselli.  





Michele Molek, of Fashionable Finishes in Southern Pines, NC, created this extraordinary dining room with a combination of foil, metallic plaster and inlaid Modello designs. Cool room!







Lastly, here is an up-to-date, traditional library that shows off its wood panels with a luxuriously rich, high gloss r-e-d. The warm colors are cozy and inviting, especially with the fire going in the evening.



Belle magazine      Photo by Richard Powers



Would you decorate with red in your home? I would love to see more examples.



I will be offering a hydrangea wreath to the lucky winner of my 100th post celebration giveaway! Be sure to check in this week for the details.
And while you're at it, hop on over to Mona's place, Providence Ltd., to try your chances on winning three, beautiful leather books!



3 comments:

  1. I love the red & violet. But, then I have a bit of Italian heritage. I love red. Have a long, but very funny story about having to decorate around purple (married a man whose home had purple-no chance he was going to change it). So.
    And, yes, I would absolutely use it, even if I didn't have to. xx's

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  2. That marbleized paper is fantastic stuff! Red is oh so daring and worth it all. Gets my attention and I personally love a red touch in any room :)

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  3. Hi Ann, In our city house we had a laquered red ceiling in the library. And the walls were covered with chintz printed with exotic bird feathers on a black background. The new owners didn't like any of it so I reclaimed my fabric. Wish I could have taken the red ceiling with me, as well. One of my most favorite paint finishes is red stucco lustro with applied gold leaf.

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