14 FEBRUARY 3 • 2013
CATHY LEE
Seeing, and Loving, Red
If you want to be bold, decorate in red. But just make sure you do it in small doses
M
i amore, the month of love is
finally here! And you know what
that means —— red roses, boxes
of chocolate tied with red ribbon, and
ladies, let’’s not forget the red lingerie!
This week’’s column is all about red ——
what it means, plus tips for using this hot
color to spice up your rooms. Let’’s start
with the psychology. Red is the color of
passion. It makes us think of love, but
remember, it’’s also a very aggressive color
that can at times feel violent. The term
““seeing red”” means someone is angry. Red
definitely stimulates the heart rate. Many
restaurants use red in their signage and
interiors because it stimulates the appetite
as well.
Because of the strong emotions it
evokes, you need to be careful when using
red in decorating. Probably the boldest use
you’’ve seen is accent walls. Many
homes have red accent walls in
dining rooms, game rooms and
other places, where there’’s entertainment and action going on and
you want to heighten the senses.
If you’’re one of those who’’d
love red on an entire wall, how do
you go about it? Here’’s the first
rule: Choose your paint color last.
Your wall should absolutely not
be the only red in the room. I like
to choose my shade of red from
another red element in the space.
For example, if there’’s red in a focal
point like an area rug or piece of
art, your red accent wall should
match that shade. Believe me, it’’s a
lot easier to find a paint color to
match a rug than vice versa!
Here’’s the second rule: Get a
color fan deck or take that red piece or a
Swatch to the paint store, if you can. You’’ll
need the exact shade to select a red paint
that is complementary.They do not have to
match exactly. But there are hundreds of
14 • FEBRUARY 3, 2013
reds ranging from cherry to terra cotta,
and unless you’’re a professional designer,
you need to choose carefully to avoid a situation where the red on your wall has blue
undertones while the red in your rug has
yellow under tones. That
might not look so hot.
Now, a red wall is probably not a good idea for
your bedroom, where you
probably want more calming colors. Subtle accents in
flowers, candles, a throw or
some art, however, can add
a feeling of romance and
sensuality.
I love using red in
accents. Just as with black or white, touches
of red can elevate the other colors in a
room. Here are some great examples from
Cathy’’s Marketplace: an Asian wall carving
that adds warmth and personality, throw
pillows that are always a great way to incorporate a color, and finally, affordable vessels
that can go on countertops and coffee
tables. As with all accent
colors, red needs to be
repeated in at least three
places to tie a space
together, and these are easy
ways to achieve this without going overboard.
So is red a good choice?
Absolutely! It spices up
your room and your life.
But do it in small doses.
After all, red is a hot color,
and if you’’re not careful you
can get burned!
Cathy Lee is president and
designer of Cathy Lee Style
and Cathy's Marketplace, a
furniture and accessories
showroom with design services at 1110 University Ave.
She recently opened reStyle
Hawaii, an affordable, style-conscious consignment warehouse with upholstering and repurposing services at 420 Keawe St. in Kakaako.
Lee's interior design work has been featured
in local and national publications, on HGTV
and in her DIY design workshops that teach
homeowners the basics of style. To find out
more, go to www.cathyleestyle.com.
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