Why choose red?

When people walk into a red room, they immediately respond. High-octane orange-tinted tones make you feel energised and alive, while a subtler, more old-fashioned purplish shades―burgundy, maroon, brick―can evoke the cosy, insular vibe of, say, an 18th-century library. Either way, red is a statement colour.

Even a small quantity of red may breathe new life into a room with an otherwise neutral colour scheme. Tomato, the brightest red fabric, is used in the Wild and Free, Life and Eternity Detail, Little Fern, and Stockholm Stripe designs. This colour can be used to create stunning red soft furnishings and furniture.

The Cranberry red fabrics have more blue in them and go more towards a burgundy dark red upholstery fabric, see Malmo, and Dandelion Trellis designs.

Cool greys and warm blues are also possible complementary colours to use in a room with red soft furnishings to add interest. Red stimulates the appetite, which makes it a perfect choice as the primary colour in a dining room palette. Red adds drama to any room—even one as utilitarian as the kitchen. Paintings, accessories, lampshades, and even carpet rugs and runners are more ways to incorporate this vibrant colour into a space. We sell hand-woven carpets and floor/stair runners in the colour Cranberry from a woollen mill in Pembrokeshire, which is a wonderful accent to any home in need of an extra-warm hue.

What colours contrast and complement red well?

If you’re familiar with the colour wheel, you know that green is the opposite of red, making it a complementary colour. Therefore green is a great choice to pair with reds. See fresh Apple Green mixed with Raspberry red in Down to Earth and Stripe and Dash designs.

A colour scheme of red, white, black, and grey make a stylish bedroom. If you’re not ready to commit wholly, try red as an accent, pulling it in through curtains, cushions or an upholstered chair. Decorating tip: in a sitting room, pick a wall colour—like chocolate brown—to ground the red. Because the colour is so visually arresting, even one red upholstered chair or red cushion can transform a neutral room. Red furnishings work well with pale and dark neutrals―white walls, wood floors, and natural stone.

(Please note some images may contain discontinued fabrics)