Red is not the interior world’s favourite colour, or at least it wasn’t until recently. As with most trends, we can trace this latest one back to the runways — where a mere drop of this dramatic hue is being seen on the stylish majority.

The lesson here, for interiors, is that red doesn’t need to be applied widely in order to capture our attention, rather, a ‘pop’ of it is enough to immediately elevate a space — a la the ‘unexpected red theory’, as coined on TikTok.

And let’s be clear, we’re talking about bright, fire engine and cherry red, not rust.

‘It’s all about selecting the right tone of red for the space,’ explains Juliette Arent, Principal Arent&Pyke. ‘When deep in tone, it adds richness and drama. When brighter in tone, and used sparingly, it becomes more playful and can provide a focal point for hero pieces or accents.’

This hot hue pairs best with its complementary colours — blues and greens. In the moodboard above, we’ve paired the deep blue of Cult’s Colour cabinet and lighter greens and yellows in the artwork by Jennifer Tarry to complement the ‘pops’ of red from the No.18 Thonet dining chair, the Saliscendi pendant from Lights Lights Lights, and Cult’s Setago table lamp, remember, with red, a little goes a long way!

To balance out these primary hues, we’ve created a base of soft, natural materials and textural finishes including; Laminex Elegant Oak, Armadillo’s hand-knotted jute Acacia rug, the Akari paper pendant from In Good Company and a stone Ivy coffee table from Grazia & Co.

Juliette explains ‘classic beiges and caramels become more spirited with a small dose of red.’

The big ticket items in the moodboard — the couch and the dining table — also feature neutral hues, to ground the space, giving breathing room to the small pops of red, which are ultimately the heroes of the space!

Additional moodboard credits: (From left) ‘Garranali 365-23′ by Wulu Marawili, from Brunswick Street Gallery. Basketweave cushion cover, Amano cushion cover and Colour Study No.2 cushion cover, from Citta. ‘Shimmering Heat‘ by Jennifer Tarry and ‘Western Landscape‘ by Claudio Kirac, from Brunswick Street Gallery. 

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