I live in an old bungalow that lends itself to more earthy decor. I've embraced it, while adding as much of my cosmo-minimalist flare as I can (in a house of 3 roommates). Above you'll see how red has incorporated itself, almost unintentionally, in various corners.
TOP LEFT: My bedroom relationship corner where I have a kiehl's bold red gift box just out of frame full of relationship mementos along with the red flowers in a Name's Day card my boyfriend gave me. I tied the red into the pink of the vase and the white of the walls and flowers.
TOP RIGHT: My roommate and former roommate have contributed all of the pieces in this space of our living room. How do you make a red, blue, green, and wood palette work? It's not something I would pick out but it's incredible to see how intentional we've made it look. The threads of color are through all the pieces and the red couch sort of blends in rather than dominates the space.
BOTTOM LEFT: Gold! Gold and Green have been a good thread to carry with the red accents and really modernizes a house full of old wood. While you do risk the Christmas vibe, I think we land more on old world European.
BOTTOM RIGHT: My bedroom's winter motif. I bought new bedding to make use of my room's given warm or yellow overtone which makes this look seamless. If you're renting, it's easier to work with what you've got. The soft lighting of a rainbow bulb and twinkle lights add incredible warmth to the cozy space.
I played with both warmer and cooler versions of this palette. The paint, lighting, and natural structure of the house informed those choices. I used red cohesively rather than divisively through intentional placement, avoiding singular over-saturation.
I want to encourage you to not be afraid of red, it's more utilitarian than you think and is never boring. However, despite it's boldness, this serves as a reminder that red can be used tastefully and feel integrated rather than claiming too much of the space.
Do you use RED in your home design? I'd love to read how and see pictures. Tag your pics on Instagram with #NMRed and I'll update this post with credited submissions - Shared style is the best style.
x/Amy