Decorating & Design
10+ Rooms That Prove The ‘Unexpected Red Theory’ Really Works
Published on February 6, 2024
Red symbolizes power, love, vigor and beauty, but a little goes a long way. That’s the thinking behind “Unexpected Red Theory,” coined by Brooklyn-based interior designer Taylor Simons (@intayriors), who explains the theory in a video that’s garnered 103,000 likes. “It’s basically adding anything that’s red, big or small, to a room that doesn’t match at all and it automatically looks better,” Taylor says. “I’m petitioning for red to be a neutral color because it just looks good with everything.”
Rather than going all-in on every room of your house, consider a red lamp shade, throw or bedding, or repainting an existing furniture piece. Click through to see 10+ rooms that prove the Unexpected Red Theory really works!
Unexpected Red Theory relies on not overdoing it: start small and layer in just a few accents, it doesn’t require painting an entire room. In this graphic black and white study, a lipstick red lampshade is a bold foil.
This family room has plenty of major red moments, starting with the plush barrel-back chair, but there are many less expensive ways to layer in this hue using flowers, pillows, or books.
Feeling bold? Guarantee a warm welcome with a red door and matching entry. The glossy lacquered walls makes this shade look even richer.
In this London townhouse, a chair’s muted upholstery in a spicy shade is a foil for the cool, blue sofa and green rug.
Energetic red is a natural fit in a child’s room. Think about re-painting furniture, or incorporating striped drapes or bedding with red accents.
A sconce with a red shade and hits of red in the upholstery and drapes pop against this bedroom’s black millwork.
Painting the staircase rail a high octane blue-red invigorates this foyer.
This room is as delicious as a box of chocolates, with the pairing of a red velvet sofa and peachy walls painted in Behr’s Coral Serenade (180D-4).
What could be more unexpected than a red ceiling? This living room’s walls are contrasted by a high-voltage pinky-red ceiling and red lampshade that balances out all the cool tones.
The vibe is eclectic yet elegant in designer Sheila Bridges’ apartment the living room, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Oval Room Blue. Judicious hits of red artwork, Burmese vessels and toss pillows warm up the swimming-pool blue palette.
This iconic Womb chair gets new life when rendered in red, rather than the more conventional grey. Color blocking the book covers injects another hit of the hue.
Colette van den Thillart brought the French brasserie look home with a petite banquette adorned with red leather in her kitchen.
A tufted red sofa and a toss pillow are the beating heart of this Toronto home’s graphic black-and-white sitting area.
Designer Tommy Smythe often includes an oversized lantern in his projects, and in this case it’s coated in a cherry-red paint. “They wanted a house that was modern, youthful and colorful but classic enough that they wouldn’t have to redo it — maybe ever,” he says. “The permanent installations are all based on timeless influences.”
In this rustic Quebec pantry, a muted tomato-red chair is a natural fit beside the jars of jam preserves and sauces.