7 Rooms That Prove the Unexpected Red Theory

As the design and color landscape continues to drift toward warmer tones, it's no surprise that red is making a comeback — this time in the form of a poppy, new trend: the unexpected red theory. If you haven't heard of it, it's the idea that adding red to a room — particularly when it doesn't match — can elevate the space.

While red may not be the answer to every design dilemma (it's just a theory after all), these rooms from HGTV Magazine are making a strong case for the dramatic trend. Read on for tips from designers about incorporating red into your home.

Red has a wow factor that designers have loved for ages. “It was the perfect choice for the front door of this 1939 San Francisco home,” says designer Emilie Munroe. She used Heritage Red by Benjamin Moore in a glossy finish to highlight the elaborate detailing.

“A red car always looks like it’s going faster than other cars, and that same idea applies in the home,” says designer Andrew Howard. For his client’s traditional Summit, New Jersey, family room, he chose a custom ottoman with cherry red legs. “Red can be great as a lead color, but it’s even better in small doses,” he says.

The owners of this Chapel Hill, North Carolina, home have three kids, “so I wanted to add an element of playfulness,” says designer Jessica Stambaugh of the fire-engine red O&G chairs around the table. “The red breaks up the otherwise neutral palette and punctuates the space like an exclamation point!”

For a color-loving couple in Annapolis, Maryland, designer Marika Meyer added a splash of tomato red with this Hwang Bishop lamp. “A little bit of red goes a long way and can negate any matchy-matchy vibes in a room,” says Marika.

Designer Shauna Glenn wanted a dramatic welcome in this Fort Worth, Texas, home. “This is the first space you see when you walk in, so we were going for showstopper,” she says of the watercolor-inspired Thibaut wallpaper on the ceiling. A red frame on the black-and-white print helps bring your eyes back down to earth.