More Than A Touch Of Red

Looking to add pizzazz to your home? Think red.

From the berry shades to spicy red-browns, red is a favorite accent color of professional decorators.

The pros are even using this vibrant hue for large decorative elements such as walls, area rugs, draperies and leather and upholstered furniture.

So many shades of red exist, it's almost impossible not to find the perfect one for any room. And there's a big payoff to using this brave color.

Red decorations bring warmth and vitality to a room decorated with cool colors or with a neutral palette.

Combined with blue and yellow, red creates a feeling of youthfulness and energy. With black or dark grey, it adds an Asian flair.

The color of congeniality, red is often used in dining rooms. It gives the space energy, stimulating conversation. Red is even thought to make food taste better.

Color experts warn against painting a whole house with reds, however. To live with so much energy could be stressful.

A safer bet is to use touches of red, rusts or pinks in a few rooms. Red flowers, candles and toss cushions are effective accents that can easily be changed.

Red walls work well where the color is visually broken up by windows, cupboard or large pieces of art.

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