Painting Rooms Red: Things to Consider Before You Pick up the Brush

Everybody’s got advice on the best colors to use for all the different areas inside your home. The good thing about paint colors is, the most important advice is your own. You’re the one who will live with your color choices, so give it a little thought and then paint your rooms, areas and trim whatever way you like best.

Red paint makes a bold statement. Let’s look at some things to consider when using this interior paint color.

Break up the intensity

Before deciding what rooms to paint red, you’ll probably want to figure out some ways to break up the red effect. Red is a good statement-maker, but it’s easy to overdo it with this shade.

Imagine a bedroom with red walls, a red ceiling, red window trim and red doors. Unless the bedroom is going to be used for a music video, you’ll probably want to tone it down. By using softer contrasting colors on everything except the walls, the red will be simply loud, not screaming.

Another way to use red paint in a room is to paint only one wall this color. The result can be an eye-catching, dramatic effect without overloading the senses.

Use red just for accents

You can go in reverse and paint the walls a gentle, neutral color and then spice up the room with red trim all over the place. Make your red statement with bursts of this color on baseboards, window frames, parts or all of the doors, molding and everywhere else other than the walls.

Another idea is a red ceiling with the walls and trim done in more conservative colors. The thing about red paint is, a little goes a long way, and wherever you apply it, it’s going to get noticed.

The Psychology of Red

Color experts tell us that red is the color of energy, passion and excitement. Colors, experts say, can inflict their moods upon us. There’s probably some truth in this, so give some thought to which rooms in your home you want to add a little or a lot of red to.

• Bathrooms probably aren’t ideal for big sections of red, because red shades can make everything feel a little close and claustrophobic.
• Recreation rooms or rooms where a lot of activity happens may be ideal for a primarily red color scheme with some softer accents or wall treatments.
• A single red wall in a bedroom might be a nice touch, but red everywhere might keep the room from being a good place to relax and sleep.
• Kitchens can look great in red, particularly its less-dramatic shades. Most kitchens have a lot of other-color items that break up the bigger color scheme but still allow the red to bring plenty of energy and excitement.
• Main rooms/living rooms, depending on their décor and accent colors, can do well with red walls. For large areas, think about going with some of the deeper red shades that hint at burgundy or brown to add a sense of stability. An all-fire-engine-red living room may not be the right look for you.

If red is the color that grabs you, don’t hesitate to use it on interior surfaces within your home. Just put a little thought into the specific shade of red and how much of it you want to use. Of all the advice on how to paint your home, the best advice is: go with what you love.

Do you love certain colors but don’t love the idea of doing the actual paint job? Franklin Painting of Farmington, CT, can help turn your ideas into a fantastic reality with professional interior and exterior painting. Find out how we can beautify your home by calling (877) 646-7774.