Decor Heats UP

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DÉCOR HEATS UP 

Cold toes? Does the house need a little sizzle? How about adding some red? As they say, "every girl should try being a blond once in her lifetime." I think that we should all try a red room at least once in our lifetime. Today, when we think of the colour red we think of Hollywood's royalty walking down the red carpet; we think of the "lady in red" (everyone remembers her). If you want to turn heads with your home decor you need to pull out all stops and put on your coat - actually, that will be three coats – of red paint. Yes, I mean full red-on-red. Four walls, and even some accents. Don't panic – for security, flip through some of your favorite home decor magazines and I guarantee that you'll find some stellar examples of red-hot rooms. Perhaps you'll find a traditional dining room painted a deep rich shade of red - the room looks stunning and is a perfect hue to use in this space, as red actually stimulates our appetite and conversation. In a modern room you may find a fiery shade of red used to create the backdrop for sleek modern furnishings.

A transitional space will often pair a handsome shade of red on its walls with rich, handsome tans and browns – envision maple hardwood floors with red walls, a river rock fireplace and luxurious overstuffed tan leather sofas. To use red at home we need to better understand red's unique personality. Red is a stimulant - the colour red will actually raise your heart rate, raise your blood pressure, heighten senses, arouse passions, stimulate the appetite, produce excitement and increase levels of energy and conversation.

The power of colour is indisputable. Colours affect us even when we are sleeping. Because colour is composed of vibrating light waves, even those who do not have the gift of sight can feel or sense a colour. Knowing this, red may not be a good choice for a bedroom – at least, not if you are planning on getting any sleep. (Remember, we know that red not only stimulates energy level, but also passion.) But it is an excellent choice for a kitchen, family room, living room, den or dining room where we encourage conversation with friends and family and enjoy wonderful meals. When considering adding red to a room, carefully select the perfect shade of red. A transitional decor generally works best with a warmer red (a red with a undertone of brown), whereas a traditional room is best suited for a rich burgundy or a blue-based red. A modern room can roll out the red carpet with a pure vibrant red.

Always bring your paint samples home and confirm the colour in the room for which it is intended. Colour quality and its perception are greatly influenced by both natural and artificial light. The quality of a colour and light varies not only from store to home but even from room to room. Red is the designer's new neutral - it works with every style of decor and almost every colour palette. If you don't believe me, make a visit to a local carpet store and check out some of their best Persian carpets. Red will be paired with almost every colour under the sun, or at least with a large quantity of different colours used in the carpet fibers. If you are looking to use a Persian carpet in your decor you can easily acquire the room's colour palette from the carpet itself. The finishing touch or "sparkle" on any red room is candlelight. When you add the warm glow of a few lit candles to a red room there is nothing that compares to the sexy space that you have created. Before you host your next dinner party or festive get-together, plan to paint the town – or at least one room in your home – red.