{{!gwi}}

Red rooms will never bet "out" and they will never be "passe".

If you like red, then you like red.

It doesn't matter what someone says is passe or not. Declaring red passe is not a very smart thing to do. When someone says something like that it's a big red flag. It tells me that they simply, clumsily decorate with color. They don't design for human beings using color. There's a difference. And one is smarter and better than the other.

There isn't another color like red in the entire spectrum. When people decide they love red, they really, really love red. Some people think they love red, try it, and then discover that red is too much color for their tolerance and they tire of it. Usually, those people will ricochet from red to a 'nice taupe' while they reach for alignment with their newly evolved (thanks to the red walls) color preferences.

There will always be a large percentage of us - mostly women - that will adore red walls and can't imagine not having its vibrancy and energy and life in our homes -- somewhere. If everyone on the block has a red dining room, then we just move the red. Bathroom, bedroom, den, study, playroom, laundry room, kitchen.

Trends in general are meaningless and pointless when it comes to color for your home. On the other hand, if you're making product to sell -- like widgets -- then trends matter. If you're making red widgets when the 'direction of color' says you should be making turquoise widgets, then you do have a problem. Your red widgets will be on the clearance shelves faster than you can say Louis Cheskin while your competitor's turquoise widgets sell robustly.

If it is your house, your space, you have to define your own expectations for your home's atmosphere and identify your thresholds of color tolerance -- and let that be your guide.

People are desperate for content - especially about color. They'll say whatever it takes to crank out that weekly blog post and the more sensational it is, the better. No one cares about smart, they just care about that 300 words per post with a picture inserted every other paragraph.

This is what cracks me up.... I'm willing to wager that the same ____________s who say red is passe are the same ones who tried to make us believe that 'red is a neutral and will go with EVERYTHING so paint red, paint red, paint red!'

If red is a neutral and it goes with everything, it seems ironic that practically in the same breath it's passe.

Funny, my son told me last week that he doesn't like his red bedroom walls any more. But that is after 9 years of red walls. I can see the need for a break after that long.

Short answer, "No," color choices are a personal matter. IMO a nice gray will never be listed as a dull color. It will always be in style and not "passe". If you want red or lime green or lemon yellow that is your choice and what you want to see in your home. One thing JMHO I would suggest if I am reading some type of article or something on the www and there is a word or a sentence that triggers me to say to myself, "this is your garbage information- I immediately stop wasting my effort and eyesight from reading "just their reactions or opinions" . I do whatever pleases me and my customers. I don't put much faith in articles saying certain colors are out and the fad is say Aqua. Choose and keep what "YOU" love. :)

I definitely think people should decorate with colors they love, whether they are "in" or "out". But it does get frustrating to work with colors or combinations that are considered "out". It becomes much more difficult to find fabrics or decorative items that will work. I hate to think that some mysterious "color police" have so much control over how we decorate, based on availability.

Totally Confused

I agree if you are trying to sell, red may not go over well. However, if you love red and don't plan to move soon, go for it! From what I've read here, it can be tough to get the right shade of red you like, and then when you don't like it anymore, it can be a PITA to cover over.

Who cares what magazines or others say!

Your room is tasteful, elegant and timeless. If you like it don't change a thing (I wouldn't). And if your selling I still wouldn't change it if it flows w/ the rest of the house.

" I see a lot of pictures of blue, torquoise, cream, light green. Neutrals."

Of course you see a lot of that in magazines, but soon enough you'll see "warm up your space with color".

I personally never follow trends. I had a navy blue & white kitchen in the 70s when the rage was gold & orange & avocado. Then I had a black & white kitchen before it was popular. Go with what YOU like.

I think red rooms are probably not trendy right now, but I agree with what others have said, use what YOU like. I am one who is different, and would rather be that way, than follow a trend.

tina

Use colors that you love and that mean something to you.

I sure hope not. Our DR is painted red; we love it and it's going to stay red.

The room you have, pinkpaula, sounds absolutely heavenly, and like the one funcolors posted . . .timeless. I'd love to see a photo!

RE: what Funcolors said: It tells me that they simply, clumsily decorate with color. They don't design for human beings using color. There's a difference. And one is smarter and better than the other.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding what FC wrote right, but I think I agree. I watch TV shows where you see people choosing between 3 homes to buy. The ones that look dated are the ones in which you can almost see the mentality of "let's do a red room" and "let's do a green room" in the same house . . .so the walls are red, green, or blue (or whatever else bold "statement" they are trying to make) and then the carpet is some generic beige, furniture is non-descript, etc.

I think your room sounds wonderful because it sounds personal and thoughtful. There is room for the word "trendy" (or not trendy!) when discussing such a room.

I meant no room for the word "trendy"!

And Monablair - how beautiful your DR is!

Well said, Funcolors!

This is funny because I was just re-reading the Kitchen Forum post on being a red freak. Lots of folks out there have and love red.

I agree with others who say to do what you love. Just like fashion magazines, home magazines (and their advertisers) want to create trends to get us to buy new stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post on red rooms

Are red rooms passe? Well, it depends on which crowd you're talking about. Among the insecure, easily-manipulated crowd that doesn't have a good sense of itself except in relation to what other people are doing--or are said to be doing--then, yes, red is terribly passe. I think it's last acceptable use was back in 2008, and even then, just barely. There's a 1920s apartment building down the street where eight dining rooms are clustered together, back-to-back, four stories high. I don't know what color they were when I first moved into the neighborhood, but within a six-month period in 2004/2005, five of the eight were painted deep red with white trim, probably in response to some TV show. By last summer, only one room was still red. The others had all gone taupe or khaki or ecru. Last week, I noticed the lone holdout red room is now a vibrant turquoise--the Color of the Year!--and I'm just waiting to see how long it takes the rest of the building to catch up. The pliable people who live there are like a marketing person's dream. So that's one answer: Yes.

If, on the other hand, you're asking if red is passe among people with both confidence in their own tastes & awareness of the fickle nature of mass-market trends, then the answer is No. Despite the ever-changing political moods in this country and our serial affairs with Liberalism, Conservatism, Whiggery & Trumpery and the rotating cast of characters in power at the White House, one thing has remained constant for almost 200 years, now: the Red Room is still red. There has to be a lesson there, somewhere.

Red is never out in my book. It's probably the most powerful color one can paint/decorate a room. If you love it, then it's the way to go. Period.

I don't think red rooms are passe, even though I think there was a red dining room "trend" for a number of years. Red is a classic, timeless color.

I myself have always had a red room in my homes. However, after 10 years I'm finding myself really wanting change. I'd like something lighter and brighter. I'm considering painting the walls gold, changing the curtains, and introducing some new colors and patterns. Red is by far my favorite color, and it will always be the dominant color in my house, just not on my walls anymore.

I just painted my wooden potting bench a geranium red and grouped all my blue & white pottery on it, and I can't believe how great it looks. It's really given my patio some life.

Colors are pronounced passe by those with a vested interest in selling you something different. Trends cycle in and to not because there's any reason or rhyme to it other than the fact that designers and manufacturers and marketers like to earn a living too.
;-)

funcolors, et. al. Thank you all so much for the comments. I love red rooms. I have a touch of red in most rooms in our house, but the guest room is the only one with red walls. I agree that what I select for my home should be a reflection of my taste, not a replication of the current trend (unless, of course, I just love the current trend ;-) Fashion magazines do the same thing.

anele, the picture of the room funcolors posted IS my room. She was nice enough to download it from the link I provided. Thanks!

Actually, I'm starting to see red creep back in the magazines. Miles Redd is bringing it back.

I'm with the others---decorate for yourself. I love red.

I will always have a red sofa in my LR. ALWAYS. I can't explain why...but it's one of my few "musts".

Your room is truly exquisite! Please don't change a thing! (And then come over and help me decorate my house!!!)

House Beautiful has a red room (bedroom, I think) in two pages in June, maybe it's making a resurgence!

Hi:
I painted my daughter's bedroom watermelon red in 1993 to help set off my hand crocheted canopy top. It's still my favorite room ever. My daughter has duplicated that room in every home she's lived in since. I don't believe a khaki/beige/neutral room would hold the same longlasting allure.
Dee

"I don't believe a khaki/beige/neutral room would hold the same longlasting allure."

That's a great way to put it -- the allure of a room. You nailed it, deeinohio.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on that one Dee. I believe it's a case of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Not everyone would find a red room alluring. I honestly don't think I could live with a red room. We do have a good bit of red in our home, but red walls would just never work for us - or really with our house. I read something that is so true for me and our home:

"I like to use neutral bases BECAUSE of the fact that I love color. Neutrals let your colors shine."

That pretty much says it for our home and our decorating. While I do love color (you'd only have to meet me and see how I dress to know that LOL!), I prefer a neutral backdrop. Plus, with a neutral backdrop, I can change things up pretty easily.

Anyhoo, just a different perspective here . . .

tina

I am not a red person either. Do I care if it is in style, nope. Shoot, I love black walls since the mid ninty's and people would never dare even think about doing a wall black then. Now you see them all the time, darn it.

Tina61 how are you? I haven't seen you in such a long time. Do you still have all your roses?

.....Jane

Tina, on the flipside of the coin, having a red room will highlight neutral accessories.

I love accessories with color, but I also have a lot of neutral accessories. A glass vase, bowls, etc. looks really good with a red wall behind them.

However, I can only live with one room painted red.

I should say, accessories/how everything else coordinates in a room.

Thank you Shee - I think you understood what I meant. A red room is not for everyone.

Jane - I don't have alot of roses. Are you confusing me with someone else? I only have a few. I've been around here and there, but to be honest, I got so tired of alot of the drama and disagreements around here . . . anyhoo, real life calls, and this wonderful time of the year we are boating, etc. or just spending time outdoors. TV has never been a priority, now I'm finding the internet less of one too!

It is good to *see* you - hope all is well in your neck of the woods!! How was the swimming party? Was the new bathing suit a hit? LOL

tina

Oh Tina I am confusing you with someone else, I'm sorry. You live in Tennessee not Alabama.

I wasn't going to have a pool party it was a 90th birthday party for my mom. We have postponed the party until relatives (sister) comes down from up north.

Didn't mean to highjack!

Okay, I'm hijacking too! I thought on the convo side you mentioned a Memorial Day party and the new swimsuit.

Tennessee tina - that's me! LOL

tina

Tina:
Thanks, awm03. And, Tina, I made my comment to support the OP. I did it neither to criticize anyone else's choices, nor to inspire anyone else to feel they have to defend their choices. Pinkpauls, I failed to mention before, but it's an absolutely beautiful room.

I realize that Dee. I was just showing that red rooms could be viewed differently. They are for some of us and not for all of us. I knew you weren't criticizing, glad we could differ in opinions peacefully!

tina

I don't know about red *rooms* in general being passe', but i've always considered red dining rooms to be traditional/classic. You gotta do what *you* love and what appeals to you, not set your standards by what's supposedly in or out. ;o)

That's red for ya.

It either strikes a magic chord with color tolerance and red walls makes your world a better place or they are an epic, agitating fail.

This got me to thinking.... I don't remember ever hearing someone say their red room was "okay" or they "could live with it". It's either love it or it's gotta go. No gray area with red.

Magnaverde. . Right On!! Do what you love!! I fell in love with red and yellow when I pledged a sorority with those colors in college. When I moved into my current house, I wanted a "Chi O" vibe. . .painted the LR/DR BM Vellum and the entry/foyer Burnt Peanut Red. Love it, love it, love it!!

Red is one of my favorite colors, but I have to admit to being a bit tired of seeing red dining rooms. They seem to have been all the rage in the last few years, and so many of my friends dining rooms are red - it's sortof lost it's punch with me.

While I love red rooms in other homes, I can't take it. We've had a solid red rug and I would get tired (not bored) looking at it. We have a red office (my husband wanted red) and I am going to repaint this winter. I used to have bold gold in our LR/DR (DH didn't want beige or green, so I didn't know what else would work with our maroon sofas), but it was too much for me. Intense wall colors are just too much for me, oddly.

I am MUCH happier with the cream walls we have now. The room has so much going on anyway (esp. since there we have 4 kids ages 8 and under) so it feels busy enough for me.

That being said, I do LOVE (and I mean love) red done right in others' homes!

Red can be too stimulating for some people. It increases breathing and heart rate. It's not a color I'd put in a room where people are expected to relax, like a bedroom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Color Psychology