red Archives - A.Clore Interiors

“There is a shade of red for every woman” -Audrey Hepburn

“Everything utilitarian needs a little red edge” – Reno Dakota

The Color Red

Red is a warm, primary color. It is a bold and symbolic hue that is often associated with strong emotion. Red grabs our attention, pulls us in, and makes us aware of its presence. It calls us to action and gets us motivated. If you are looking to create a cozy and intimate space, red is the way to go. This catching color reminds us of beautiful things in nature like sweet strawberries, delicate roses, falling autumn leaves, and calming sunsets. Let’s not forget red is also a symbolic color of our great country, representing hardiness and valor. The flat
lay below incorporates a mix of red, white, and blue, inspired by our beautiful star-spangled banner.

How Red Affects Mood & Behavior

Did you know that all colors have a different psychological effect on us? The human mind processes colors in diverse ways causing us to feel and act differently. Colors affect how we react to sounds, smells, taste, and time. Some colors can even help heal sick patients and aid in their recovery.

Red is often associated with love, danger, anger, excitement, fire, strength, confidence, and luxury. In Chinese culture, red is very popular for weddings and acts as a symbol of happiness. Bright, warm colors like red are also quite prominent in the restaurant industry, a perfect choice to stimulate the appetite of consumers. If you think of it there are tons of fast-food places that use red, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Chick-fil-A, Sonic, Pizza Hut, and Dairy Queen, just to name a few. The reason behind this is simple, red is bold, catches our attention, and somehow makes something in our brain say, “Hmm I could go for some food”. Not only does this hue cause change in mood and behavior but studies show that it can physically cause our body temperature to rise and make us feel warmer.

All these emotions and meanings behind just one color! Because red is so lively and simulating it should be used in moderation and with care. As designers, we take into consideration these effects that color has on the human mind to help us determine the best use and fit for each space. We suggest using red in entertainment spaces such as the living and dining rooms. Red is also a great choice for window treatments, pillows, and accent furniture. Here you can see how red steals the spotlight in a dining nook. The drapery, art piece, and accessory tray all pull red from the seating creating a fun layering effect that fills this small space with excitement.

This nightstand is a perfect example of using red on a piece of furniture to create a fun accent and carry it throughout the room within the artwork and area rug.

Colors That Pair Well with Red

There’s no doubt that red makes a statement on its own but that doesn’t mean you have to pair it with neutrals to make a space look great. Many times, red looks best when paired with colors that are just as vibrant and eye-catching. Check out the interesting mix of patterns in this photo! The scheme in this living area uses red in combination with blue, teal, and green making a space that is daring yet visually appealing to the eye.

Red’s complement is green and although most of us associate those colors with the holiday season they can be combined in a way that is not so literal by using variations of the hues. To avoid making your space look like a holiday party we recommend pairing it with a sage green or mint green. Other select colors that work well with red are teal, navy blue, peach, and yellow. If you choose to take the neutral route but still want to create a dramatic ambiance, use black, white, or gray or a combination of all three to really make the space pop. In this unique bedroom, we placed red accents on a neutral black and white background adding to the already existing moody vibe of the artwork.

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Ever wonder why you feel suddenly happy when you see the color yellow? Or feel love when you think of pink? Have you ever noticed that most food restaurants have red in their logo or a warm color scheme inside? WAIT, purple isn’t a color?? It’s called the psychology of colors, and you’re about to read more on it.

Colors, unknowingly to you, effect our everyday lives. Their different hues are naturally perceived in unique ways and trigger certain emotions. Having a favorite color could even explain some of your personality! Associating holidays and feelings with certain colors actually have a science behind them! They also play a big role in branding. The color of a company’s logo has a big first impression on consumers, and plays a key role in how they want their business to be perceived. Colors can be perceived differently depending on the reader’s age, gender, and where they live. So, marketers must understand who they want to target as an audience and how that audience will then judge their brand. Below, you’ll find more specific details about popular colors and their own personalities.

Red

Red is most commonly known as being aggressive. It has the longest wavelength of all colors, that’s why it seems so much more substantial than others. Which also explains why it’s universally known as STOP! Running up close behind aggressive, it’s also commonly associated with Valentines day and ~love~. This pops first into your mind when paired with pinks and purples. Red raises your pulse and stimulates, which explains how it can make you feel lots of things. At the same time, it can be very friendly when paired with other colors like orange or yellow. You often see it paired with warm colors by food companies to increase a consumers appetite, think: Wawa, Boston Market, Sonics, any pizza place.

Orange

We have such a love-hate relationship with orange. It often comes off as obnoxious and headache-triggering. But, at the same time, it can draw us in with warmth and increase our appetites. Orange is often used to represent youth and signal kid-friendly environments, like Nickelodeon. It gives off enthusiasm, confidence, and is welcoming. Home Depot markets with it’s orange to make their big stores seems more homey, and their staff with their orange aprons more friendly.

Yellow

Yellow is the color of the sun, so obviously, it stands for optimism, happiness, and warmth. Psychologically, this is the strongest color! McDonald’s notable M logo is a very smart branding move because 1) it’s huge, and 2) it’s yellow! This makes you take immediate notice to it, and lures customers in, even if they aren’t hungry. While it’s very effective at lifting our spirits, too much can be very negative. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by yellow, and can trigger anxiety.

Green

Green is very overlooked when it comes to the color spectrum. It’s negatively associated with envy, blandness, and war. When used as certain tones though, it can come off as serene, natural, and glamorous. Workplaces try to incorporate it into their office designs because it is known to increase productivity and convey growth. The growth comes from the idea of green little buds popping up in spring, then growing quickly into big leaves that keep a tree alive.

This bold move on green chairs works best in a more masculine design.

Blue

Blue just seems to be a color that everyone can agree on. It’s often presented in a variety of different tones, from baby to navy! It can trigger many emotions depending on its tone. Baby blue is associates with baby boys, gentleness, and is soothing. You can go towards aqua blue, which can relax or excite you; or take you to a tropical vacation. Then we have deep, dark blue. This can be scary or make you feel small. Compared to red, blue mentally affects us rather than physically. Many brands use blue on their logos to come off as trustworthy and intelligent, like Facebook, IBM, and Samsung. You don’t see it on many food brand logos though because it’s known to curve appetite.

Purple

Glam and royalty says it all with purple. As early as the 15th century, nobility were the only people allowed to wear purple cloths. Its dye was so hard to make, that wearing purple showed signs of wealth and royalty. Today, thankfully, it is much easier to obtain. They say that purple fireworks are still expensive though, because the color is hard to get right in them. Magic and mystery are also commonly associated with purple. It can have a poignant tone and seem very dark. Purple is a mix of the primary colors blue and red, and doesn’t have its own wavelength, technically making it not a color. However, violet does have a wavelength at the bottom of the rainbow, making it an actual color. This is just one of multiple differences between these two commonly confused hues.

Purple in a master bedroom can make it a peaceful, yet lavish retreat.

Pink

Interestingly enough, red happens to be the only color that has a tone known as a whole different color, pink. Blue, green, etc., are all known as “light blue” or “dark green”, but never classified as a separate hue. Just like red, pink effects us psychically, but in a less obvious way, soothing instead of stimulating. Pink is best known for baby girls and giving off that loving feeling. Bubblegum pink and hot pink can come off as obnoxious very easily, and baby pink can indicate easiness. But on the bright side, hot pink can be audacious and call attention to female power. Men can wear it too, and are often considered more manly if they pull it off, even though traditionally, it has the opposite effect.

Multi-Colored

What about all the colors used together, or a few as a color scheme? Using different hues together projects diversity and appeals to many people at once, no matter the gender or ethnicity. Used by Ebay, NBC, and most famously the Olympics! All of these brands are aiming to reach and represent a very wide audience. It makes them stand out from other logos, too.

The mix of colors in this bedspread make it very eclectic.

While there is backing to the connection of colors and feelings, much of it is based off of observation and such. To truly understand what colors do, you must research and learn in depth the science behind color waves and the biology of the human mind.

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