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….love, passion, desire, energy, strength, power, danger. Such a mix of emotions! On one hand it’s the blood of life, on the other the loss of life. It stimulates appetites, enchances metabolism and increases blood pressure.

Studies have shown that red is the most sensual of all colors. It is used in marketing all the time from cosmetics to sports cards, so why not appeal to our senses. We know “sex sells”. Red demands attention.

It has cultural symbolism too. In the Chinese culture, red symbolizes “Luck” and is worn in celebrations such as the New Year (February 23, 2018), funerals and weddings. In South Africa, red symbolizes mourning which they represent in their flag to remember their struggle for independence. In America, the red in our flag represents hardiness and valor.

The brightest reds require the most attention and invigorate the blood.

 

 

 

As do bright pinks but with a more playful, flamboyant vibe.

 

 

 

A more youthful direction for red is light pink; demure, tender, innocent and sometimes considered “too sweet”.

 

 

 

The deeper reds, such as burgundy, are considered luxurious, refined, cultivated and stable.

 

 

 

I find brick reds more relatable because they reference the earth and bring to mind a warmth that makes many people feel at home.

 

 

Monochromatic color schemes use one hue family in various tints, tones and shades.

Analogous colors are among the most harmonious and guaranteed color scheme because the colors are adjacent to each other on the color wheel (one primary, one secondary, and one tertiary color). Last month I mentioned how purple could get almost as deep in value as black, thus the wall color shown below.

Complementary hues are situated directly across the color wheel from each other and are called such because the word literally means “that which completes or makes perfect”. This is a no brainer when it comes to a successful interior color scheme.