Decorating with red: Three ways to add red to your home

John Cullen

Stacy Brandford

Stacy Brandford

Red  is the colour of passion, anger, danger and romance. It evokes emotion and is definitely not for the faint of heart. It is said to raise the energy level within a room and stimulate conversation. Because it's such a strong colour, people often shy away from using it – but decorating with red doesn't have to be intimidating.

Here are three ways to add more red in your home, depending on how much of it you'd like to experiment with:

1. For the fierce: Paint one wall

Feeling brave? Try painting just one wall in the room red – it will make a dramatic statement and completely change the tone of the whole space. Don't forget about the often neglected option of painting just the ceiling in a bright shade. It will be an unexpected surprise when you look up and will help give the whole room a warm glow from above.

2. For the curious: Mixed accessories

Not quite ready to take the plunge and buy a can of paint? Mix in accessories, like throw blankets, art, pillows and vases, with bold pops of red. They will add just the right amount of punch to lift a drab interior out of the winter doldrums.

3. For the timid: Simple bouquet

One of the easiest ways to experiment with this shade is through a bouquet of bright red blooms. They'll be a much needed pick me up in the middle of winter and might even coax you out of your red-shyness, one baby step at a time...