Romance with Red

February is the month of romance: Red roses, red valentines, red wine…the list goes on. Our love affair with red paint continues straight into 2023!

Have you ever considered going bold with paint color and doing an accent wall, a piece of furniture, or even a whole room in red? If you’re thinking of painting a little excitement into your home, there’s a ton of information and inspiration waiting for you.

Painting a wall, piece of furniture, or room in red is a bold step. Maybe browsing through some professionally designed rooms where red is an accent, a theme, or the star of the show will give you that red badge of courage to paint your own red room! If you’re looking for an auburn red inspiration with a classic and elegant look, Graham & Brown is offering Alizarin.

Choose wisely when using such a deep paint color. It can be more work both to apply and cover the deep reds, so make sure you like the color in every light before you apply it to the whole wall. Start with a visit to the paint chip display in your favorite hardware or paint store. Take a few different shades and tints of red. Take the chips home, and view them in the light you’ll use where you’re thinking of painting: Morning sun, daylight, lamplight, and sunset can all change the color. Eliminate the ones that don’t suit you in every light. Once you’ve chosen a couple of favorites, head back to the store for samples. Most stores now offer trial sizes of their custom colors, as well as their most popular paint colors and types. Purchase a small amount of two or three colors, and paint large splotches on the area you’re thinking of painting red. Again, live with the colors and see what you think.

When you’ve found your perfect red, prepare to apply the paint carefully. Deep colors often require thoughtful preparation. A tinted primer on the wall first can cut down on the number of coats you must apply to get even coverage. Ask your paint specialist what they recommend for the exact shade you’ve chosen. Also, when choosing your paint, make sure you choose the correct tinted base. Deep custom paint colors start with a tinted base so the paint is less diluted with pigment when customized. Mix thoroughly so that the pigment is evenly distributed through the paint from first stroke to last. If you use more than one can, use a bucket to mix the cans of paint together, and then work from the combined paint so that the paint color doesn’t change between cans. And be prepared to cover the area with extra coats. Leave enough time for the paint to dry between coats. This makes it easier to see where the “bald” spots are!

Think toward the future, too. You may not always want a red wall, or at least not this exact shade. Use tape to mask edges of woodwork and corners, and apply to a clean surface to prevent bubbling, cracking, and peeling. And think long and hard before painting hard-to-reach areas, such as ceilings and rooms that require scaffolding to reach the upper areas. Deep colors require several coats to saturate the surface not only when you apply the paint, but again when you try to cover it to change colors.

Red is the color of love, excitement, energy and warmth. In China, red is the color of good luck and prosperity. It’s a favorite shade in romantic bedrooms and is used to enliven conversation and appetites in dining rooms. Red can be regal, historical, vivacious, country fun or urban funky! If your home has a case of the beige blahs, red may be just the splash of excitement you’ve been dreaming about.