The ‘unexpected red theory’ is an interior designer trick you need to know
According to TikTok, the newly coined ‘unexpected red theory’, is the secret to making any space look better. Essentially, it’s adding anything that’s red – be it big or small – to a room where it doesn’t match at all, transforming the space in one fell swoop. One TikToker is so keen on this theory that she's “petitioning for red to be a neutral colour because it just looks good with everything”. As interesting a trend as it appears to be, a quick scan through the House & Garden archive shows that this is a secret that has been favoured by interior designers for quite some time. From lampshades to sofas, cabinets to trims, red pops up across the houses featured in print and online, and below are simply a handful of the ways in which red can enliven a room.
Ways to use the 'unexpected red theory'
Christoper Horwood1/18In Lucy Williams' dining space, a pendant light by Beata Heuman was done in a custom bright red to contrast with the pale blue kitchen, one of Lucy's “favourite colour combinations."
Paul Massey2/18Novelist Andrew O'Hagan's flat is full of touches of red, but nowhere is quite as bold as the kitchen, where the floor is painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Rectory Red’ and pairs with a red Smeg (not pictured).
Kristin Perers3/18Catherine Olley's Dulwich kitchen is painted in a calm tone ('Mizzle' from Farrow & Ball), offset by a gloss red stool.
Dean Hearne4/18In the dining area of Daisy Sims-Hilditch's flat, reddish-brown Italian chairs from Retrouvius lend depth to the pale colour scheme, with walls in Farrow & Ball's ‘Pink Ground’.
Simon Brown5/18This Cotswold farmhouse mixes a calm palette with flourishes of bold colour, like the kitchen cabinets by Stroud Furniture Makers being painted in Fired Earth’s ‘Wild Olive’, which provides a colourful contrast with the red Ikea trestles supporting a repurposed internal door to form the dining table.
Paul Massey6/18Artist Bridie Hall's house is full of touches of red, from the painted floorboards in the dining room to lamps and decorative touches throughout. In the kitchen, traditional cabinets with olive-green paintwork in a gloss finish provide a rich contrast with cheery red and white Marmoleum floor tiles arranged in a chequerboard pattern.
Paul Massey7/18A red version of Bridie’s ‘Pediment Mirror’ stands out against panelling in ‘Verdure Brown’ from Papers and Paints in her bathroom.
Milo Brown8/18This east London house by Lonika Chande is full of touches of red, and in the living room, the woodwork is painted in a gloss ‘Murrey Red’ by Papers & Paints. Mid-century Spanish wall lights on either side of the mirror echo the red of the woodwork.
Milo Brown9/18The children's bedroom has a dash of red via the wrought iron bedsteads from Bobby Rabbit.
Simon Bergström10/18“A tomato in the store can give me some ideas and then I go home and create based on that,” says Sebastian Bergström, who has translated that into his living space. His tomato-red chairs are painted in ‘Heat’ by Little Greene.
Yuki Sugiura11/18Matilda Goad's house is another where touches of red crop up throughout – from doorways to tiles. The most unexpected – and clever – place it appears, however, is in the use of red grout against the white tiles of her pantry.
Simon Brown12/18This is quite a bit larger than a ‘touch’ of red, but the use of a deep intense red against the softer palette in this kitchen by Salvesen Graham helps to anchor the space. The cabinets, which are by Plain English, are in their ‘Chop’ colourway.
Paul Massey13/18It's a similar story in this Rita Konig project, where Plain English units are once again in a deep red – ‘Sauce’, this time – to counteract a softer base.
James McDonald14/18Kate Guinness is a designer known for her use of colour and she certainly doesn't shy away from red. This house in Kensington is replete with washes of the bold colour, but in the hallway, a more subdued red console from Robin Myerscough works to create a focal point against the blue drenched space.
Salva Lopez15/18Original patterned floor tiles and a red-painted railing outside the window counteract the soft colour scheme and white metro tiles in Sergio Roger's Barcelona apartment.
Dean Hearne16/18This salon in Gavin Houghton's Tangier house is a red and white striped visual feast, with stripes on the ceiling and fireplace, as well as a red floor. Perhaps it doesn't count as a ‘touch’ but it certainly makes a statement.
Paul Massey17/18Nicola Harding is no stranger to adding a touch of red in places where it absolutely should not work, and the red lampshades against bold blue walls and pink joinery in this 17th-century house is a wonderful example. The walls are painted in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Constantia Blue’ and cabinetry in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Crimson Red’.
Paul Massey18/18In the spare room of this VSP Interiors project, bed curtains in James Hare’s ‘Orissa’ opal silk with Samuel & Sons’ ‘Lancaster’ ribbed border in sea mist frame a sculptural headboard covered in Flora Soames’ emerald ‘Honeycomb’ fabric. The blue tones of Vaughan’s ‘Imari Vase’ lamp, with a Susan Deliss shade, provide a colourful contrast with an antique textile layered over a bedcover in Lewis & Wood’s cream/red ‘Stockholm Stitch’.
