In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to pull together a red design scheme. This exercise was tough for me, as I always gravitate toward blues and whites (highly apparent on my blog and instagram profile). Orange is also a favorite of mine, but I have never quite been able to to “heart” red.
Finally I realized that I can learn to love red if paired with neutrals. Below is the result, a scheme which would be great for a small, cozy library or a cheerful family room.
Reds paired with “putty” toned neutral textures and crisp white linen
A variety of red Fermoie fabrics
All fabrics were sourced at the beautiful local Boyac showroom, located in the prime “design district” on Boundary Street. Sydney does not have its own Design Center as I was accustomed to in the States, but you will not hear me complaining about its location in Rushcutters Bay.
Sourced:
- A red velvet by Barbara O’Sorio
- “Tarragon” (a transitional, worldly medallion pattern, putty and white, cotton) by Thibaut
- “Lancelot” (solid white linen) by Destombes
- “Wicker” (putty and red small-scale coordinate, linen) by Fermoie
- “Santa Barbara” (putty colored grasscloth wallpaper, great for walls or backs of bookcases to add texture), also by Thibaut
I will eventually dedicate an entire post to Fermoie. I love their fabrics due to their durability (usually 100% linen), variety of colors, and unique, youthful patterns. You should see their lampshades, too! Any designer out there knows that these “coordinate” fabrics can often be the most difficult to find. The completion of an entire scheme, room, or home could be incomplete without the final fabric to tie it all together and make it sing.
Finally, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite red rooms, despite the fact that I am not typically “red” person. Are you…?
Mark Sikes (U.S.)
Victoria Hagan (U.S.)
Ruthie Sommers (U.S.)
Kelley Proxmire (U.S.)
Anna Spiro (Australia)
Diane Bergeron (Australia)
