Colors that go with red – combination ideas to make this tricky shade work for your home

When it comes to colors that go with red, you'll be surprised at how well this hue can pair with several others. Yes, while red is a dominant, fiery hue, it can forge wonderful and powerful connections with other colors for an interior color scheme with real charm. 

True red is a primary color, but the spectrum of reds is vast, from pale pink (white with a little red in it) to scarlet, crimson, and vermillion. In decorating, this bright hue is usually reserved for accents, while darker, browner reds end up on walls, floors, and doors.

While it may seem easy to find colors that go with grey, neutrals, and other soft tones, there is no dearth of color pairings with red as well. 

Take a look at these below suggestions and start decorating. 

5 easy colors that go with red

1. Red and green

(Image credit: Kingston Lafferty Design. Photo credit Ruth Maria Photography)

When it comes to selecting the perfect palette for your home, you can't go wrong with complementary color pairings like red and green. And before you start thinking that the combination sounds a little too much like Santa's workshop, let us assure you, red and green go together like a dream; a palette that is far beyond the typical Christmas decor. 

Consider integrating them via texture to keep your space from looking too seasonal.

'For this family living room we wanted to create a sophisticated yet playful palette,' says Roisin Lafferty, founder of Kingston Lafferty Design. 'The vibrant red color pops are the strong, bold feature in the statement pendant and rug. This was then balanced in the rich stained original flooring and the softer green tones on the sofa. We wanted the space to still have a classic feel with a bold twist that would give longevity to the design for this young family.'

2. Red and off-white

(Image credit: Albion Nord)

Decorating with neutrals is possibly the easiest task, as almost all hues go with creams, beiges, off-whites, and light grey. 'When it comes to matching, the trick is to pair the shade of red with a color that has the same undertone, for example, a warm undertone shouldn’t be paired with a cool undertone,' says Chelsea Clark, head of brand at Lust Home.

'If you want red to be the statement color within a room, pair a classic red or deeper hue with complimentary neutral or off-white accessories. Or make a dramatic statement by pairing a deep red room with dark stained or black woodwork.'

3. Red and mustard

(Image credit: Amoeba Design)

One of the colors that go with yellow is red if you're looking to make a nice, bold, dramatic statement. The colors offset each other, making the interior feel more lively and excitable. Since both red and yellow are bright hues, consider warm, yellow lighting to subdue their stark effect.  

'Darker red tones can give living rooms a magical quality, especially in the evening light,' says Patrick O’Donnell, color expert at Farrow & Ball. 'Brick reds and rich mustard yellows look beautiful together; use empathetic whites to balance the tones and stop the room from looking too cloying.'

4. Red and grey

(Image credit: JL Studio. Photo credit Egor Piaskovsky)

While red is a fierce, passionate, statement-making hue, grey is a color of solace and comfort. When used together, the two create a unique balance of eclecticism and can transform any room. 

If in your bedroom color ideas, you are keen to have a statement wall in red, a good way to reduce its overbearing effect is to use grey in the upholstery. Red is a lovely color to show off your home's architectural features too, so if you have nice cornice work or wainscoting, consider painting it red. 

5. Red and blue

(Image credit: Annie Sloan)

Blue is a surprising color that looks good with red. Here’s a contrast pairing that we are committed to saying we love. This is the ideal color pairing if you are looking to create impact and an eye-catching decor scheme. 

Whilst baby blue and bright red are very much opposites on the color spectrum, there’s a definite and somewhat surprising harmony when paired together, and crimson is one of the colors that go with blue. To get the colors right then consider the finish of the paint you use. The trick is to select a matt and chalky powder blue finish. 

'Powder blue is the perfect partner for a bright and bold pillar box red shade,' says paint expert Annie Sloan. 'It instantly cools the fiery tendencies of the red and has connotations of fun and playful mid-century decor. Think American Diner, or indeed those beautifully playful blue and red Italian kitchens and cafe schemes of the 1950s era - powder blue and pillar box red? It’s tried and tested!'

What color goes with a red living room? 

(Image credit: Simon Bevan)

Lilac greys work well with red in a living room. Red can look particularly sumptuous in a living room, but 'avoid teaming with white,' says Farrow & Ball color creator Joa Studholme. This contradicts the general inclination and moves that most people make when forming living room ideas, which is to try and balance a strong red with the most popular neutral - white. 

'When looking to decorate living rooms that don’t have an abundance of natural light, the temptation is to paint them bright white to force them to feel brighter. Sadly, this just results in a flat, dull room which won’t feel cozy at all,' says Joa. 

The trick? Well, it’s to choose a darker neutral. 'Instead, when using a warm, rich red color like Radicchio to create a room that feels welcoming and confident, use a softer neutral beside it. The strong color feels luxurious and nurturing and cannot fail to introduce a little passion to your home especially if you are brave enough to use a Full Gloss finish on the walls which will bounce any available light around the room. Dove Tale with its gentle lilac undertone creates a soft contrast with the intensity of the walls, and is a favorable option to using straight white,' says Joa.

Can red be used in a home office? 

(Image credit: Superfront)

Yes, red can definitely be used in a home office. And nobody - we think - has styled it more effectively than Interiors writer and instructor for Create Academy Kate Watson-Smyth, who is known for her keen use of grey in home decor. 

When quizzed about how she has pulled this look together using a dash of red, Kate says, “Red can feel like a scary colour to use in interiors but, as with all shades, there are dozens of different varieties. I have used a deep red oxide shade in my study and it lends itself perfectly to small cosy spaces. Here I used Arras by Little Greene teamed with Ferdinand from their new Stone collection. The latter is a rich browny cream with a tiny hint of pink in it and the two work well together.” 

With just a slither of red used on the door return and frame, Kate has given this study just the right amount of rich detail that it needs to make it stand-out, incorporating red perfectly into her home office ideas.

What is a complementary color to red? 

Pink is the perfect complementary color to red. It is red's closest color friend, and as a result, the combination makes for a well-matched decorating scheme. For best results opt for a softer Etruscan or earthy red tone when thinking about colors to go with pink, as it tends to pair together more tonally than brights. 

Superfront founder Monica Born says, “pairing a soft red hue with pink pastel-colored pieces and adding natural shades and materials to the room is a tried and tested approach to harmonizing with red decor. A red that’s in the realms of a soft terracotta looks fantastic with pops of pastel pink, as well as copper and leather, which we selected for our Loop handle”, (shown above). 

The addition of copper certainly elevates the decor scheme, and we would suggest that alongside copper - brass and gold also make for complimentary decorating metallics to tie in with a terracotta red decor scheme.

For a similar terracotta red tone try Farrow and Ball Red Earth. To match in a tonal shade of pink we love Tuscany from Little Greene. 

Red can be bold, but can red also be whimsical? 

Red can be very welcoming and pretty, it’s just a case of how you apply it in the room. Matched with contemporary pieces of furniture a red painted room looks bold and modern, however you can also create a more traditional and whimsical decor with red tones, by selecting a small-scale floral wallpaper. 

Interiors influencer Laura Hunter has done just that as part of her dining room ideas, and it’s definitely the right side of chintz to be just right. 

Creating a nuanced dining room decor - one which naturally leans towards a more traditional aesthetic - a red leaf print wallpaper has the ability to be a strong and well-proven decor choice. No Feature Walls (@nofeaturewalls) founder Laura Hunter explains ”I've always thought of red as a romantic color, for obvious reasons, and so the use of reds to create romantic and whimsical room scheme has always made sense to me although I know some people find red a little guttural.

I have used a leaf, rather than floral, design in my dining room/study and feel that it creates a real sense of grown up whimsical feeling, rather than all-out prettiness.” 

Laura also says, “Dining spaces and studys can sometimes be the most grown up rooms in the house - lots of woods and deep dark colourways and I wanted to combine that essence with my natural tendency to romanticise everything! The use of a rich red paint for the bookcase balances the prettiness of the wallpaper pattern well.” 

Design accessories amd materials to pair with the look? “I think wicker, natural color fabrics and dark wood pairs extremely well with red and create a natural autumnal feel in the room, a kind of "come down to the woods" vibe - and not Bram Stoker at all”, explains Laura.

Is red really a bad color choice for a bedroom? 

Red is actually  a great choice for a bedroom, as long as you pick the right shade.  

Ok, so, many experts would instantly warn a client off decorating a bedroom in a red tone, often citing its association with anger as the main reason why it might not be a restful color choice for a room that’s sole reason is to be a comfortable and settling sleep environment. However, as with most things in life, the devil is very much hidden in the detail. 

Consider this as canon when forming your modern bedroom ideas. It depends on which direction your bedroom faces and where the natural light comes from, alongside the specific tone of red you end up choosing. Be aware of both of these elements, and you can make a savvy decor decision on whether to, or whether to not, envelop a bedroom in red. 

Which direction does your bedroom face? If the window faces south, then you’re onto a winner. South-facing rooms have an ever-glow characteristic. They sit facing south, and as such have the best placement towards natural - warm - sunlight. Match a south-facing window bedroom with the right color of red. Ideally, this is a chalky, matt color of red, such as this Sang De Boeuf shade from paint brand Edward Bulmer.

Use red in the design details

Want to work red into the bedroom, but still not convinced you can live with it? Well, we (or rather the hardware experts over at Dowsing & Reynolds) have come up with a decorating solution. 

They have teamed with period property renovator and decor whiz Emma, from @homeonthegrove, and worked up a terracotta red bedroom treat. Emma’s decorating scheme hones in and draws upon red as the statement color in her guest room ideas, however, by applying it only to the ceiling area Emma has created a red bedroom which is in no way overwhelming. 

Emma says, “As this is our spare room, I felt I had the license do something a little bit bold in here which is why I decided to go for the beautiful red colour. The room is south facing so it is bright all afternoon and the terracotta colour adds to the warmth. I was open to using the paint in a different, creative way. I'd been having a look at ideas on Pinterest and settled on the idea of using the paint on the ceiling - it's something I've always wanted to try. My best tip would be to use a laser level, which will give you a clean digital line all the way around the top of the room which you can masking tape up from! The light switch is one of those design details which might feel like a very small addition, but it feels like it brings the whole look together in coherency.” 

Emma selected one of Dowsing & Reynolds sleek color tone light switches to coordinate and match the terracotta ceiling and armoir. It’s this very consideration of detail - which to some would maybe just be a light switch, right? - that pulls the design and the decor of the room together. End result? Simply stylish!