Looking for decorating tips for a living room with red walls (pics)

[luvflorida]

Ahhhhhhh....I'd love to get some ideas on how to furnish a living room that has two, very large walls painted red.

I'm a fan of the tropical/beachy look and have always decorated rooms painted in tan or light shades of blue, green or yellow. I love the New England "cottage" look.

Here in the southwest, the colors are much brighter and bolder. I'm finding it difficult to incorporate my beach theme. We just moved into a house that has very red walls (only in the living room) and I'm not sure what color furniture (fabric, wood etc.) will look right. I'm leaning toward a three piece couch set that's mostly beige with very thin strips of yellow, red and green. My husband thinks solid dark blue or beige would look better.

Anyone with any ideas?!?!? And no, we can't repaint with a different color. We are renting the house while we search for the right one to buy. Here are a few pictures to give you a better idea of what the walls look like.

Not only are the walls red, but they extend about twenty feet high. The windows have brown wooden, shutter-type blinds and the floor is beige colored slate.

Any decorating tips, hints, ideas?!?!?

 

[bettyann29]

I dont have any suggestions, but wanted to comment that those walls are really pretty in that color.. I guess its the shade of red that I like because Im normally not a fan of red walls.. more beiges, light browns, etc..

 

[Avalon_toon]

We have red walls in our living room, and wood that looks similar in color to yours. We chose furniture in a dark brown leather, which I think gives a really rich feel to the room.

To pick up the color of the wood, which definitely has a kind of orange tint to it, I recently bought a wacky orange zebra rug, too - probably not what your beachy tastes are looking for, though! Here's a pic of our wall, couch, and rug... its a very warm, energetic, comfy place (forgive the toys, etc!)

 

[tw1nsmom]

If you're renting and will be moving on I would pick furniture in neutrals instead of trying to match or coordinate with the walls. Actually, white, beige, or brown would look great with the red walls and could later coordinate with your preferred lighter look. We have beige Tuscan plaster in our living room and chocolate brown/red walls in the adjoining/open dining room. We have brown leather living room furniture and a combination black and dark brown wood pieces. DH has a red Ekhorn chair that coordinated with the walls. For all my fabrics (curtains, throws, pillows, table scarves) I bring in light colored neutrals like cream or white.

Our house is very small so I stick to three basic color families through most of the main rooms.

 

[Katy Belle]

Decorating is NOT my thing... but wanted to say it looks like a fantastic room!

 

[Cool-Beans]

If there is any of the paint left in the original cans, I'd go in and see what colors they used to make it. Then I'd go with that.

Like you, I'm more into the calmer colors than the bold ones and have never decorated a red room. (Now that I typed that, I'm thinking "redroom...redrum...".

Good luck!

 

[princess momma]

I'd go with a neutral, something in tan/beige for the furniture. I just don't see the beachy theme in this room.

I always find it easiest to start with a painting and go from there. Find something you like that looks good in the room - some wall art, a pillow, a throw rug - and work off of that color palate. http://www.art.com/ lets you put the wall color in the background of the picture, which I find really helpful.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I think your DH is more on the right track of color scheme...Dark Blue would be nice as long as you don't make it "AMericana"..lol..
I'd stick with beige or brown as others have said because it will be easier to transition to your new home.

I like the posters place with the zebra rug

 

[Ilivetogo]

May be helpful to you ...

http://www.ehow.com/how_5037822_decorate-room-red-walls.html

 

[dizluvah]

I think black would go nicely with the rich red walls but that might not be your style. Also, I think natural wood colors, browns etc will be nice.

I did want to suggest that if this just a temporary residence perhaps you don't want to tailor your furniture to the red walls. Maybe use the furniture you have now and then splurge on new furniture after your find your permanent home.

Good luck. I'm sure whatever you decide will look great.

 

[karibritt01]

I believe that I would go with very neutral, or else just pick furniture based on what you will decorate your new home with. If you are actively looking for a home, then I would imagine you have a 6 month lease or so. I can't imagine spending time and money to decorate a rental home in a style that you yourself don't like. But that is just me, I guess.

 

[Mau Loa Disney]

Hi, i found this site... check out pic 2 of 61. It has beige walls, but maybe you could do a reverse in colors... I think all these colors are pretty- Here is a description.

French Country Living Room
A Montecito cottage living room that includes not only reds, but also turquoise blue and mustard yellow French bergères, and an 18th-century French coffee table, make it true French-country style.


http://www.countryliving.com/homes/living-room-decorating-2009

 

[TimeforMe]

Sorry I don't know how to do pics, but our living room has red walls. It's a very warm, rich room and everyone loves it. My furniture is beige, carpeting is also beige--maybe a shade or 2 lighter than the furniture (which is big and comfy) and my window treatments (4 windows) are red, gold, green striped. My shades are the same as the curtains (fabric and colors) but in the summer I take the curtains down and just leave the shades--otherwise not enough sunlight comes in and the room is too dark. Nice in the winter, but too dark for summer.

I don't think you can go wrong with beige and neutrals. IMO I don't like the blue with it.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I love decorating...so I googled..

This room looks very similar to yours, but probably to 'contemporary'

This may be more the direction to go with what you generally like

Use light woods, white woods or furniture, bamboo even.. and all light around it.. those windows will help keep it airy for you as well.

Good luck! I'd love to see it done

 

[luvflorida]

We have red walls in our living room, and wood that looks similar in color to yours. We chose furniture in a dark brown leather, which I think gives a really rich feel to the room.

To pick up the color of the wood, which definitely has a kind of orange tint to it, I recently bought a wacky orange zebra rug, too - probably not what your beachy tastes are looking for, though! Here's a pic of our wall, couch, and rug... its a very warm, energetic, comfy place (forgive the toys, etc!)

Your room looks very nice!

Like you, I'm more into the calmer colors than the bold ones and have never decorated a red room. (Now that I typed that, I'm thinking "redroom...redrum...".
Good luck!

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay...now I have a new way to look at the room!

I'd go with a neutral, something in tan/beige for the furniture. I just don't see the beachy theme in this room.

I always find it easiest to start with a painting and go from there. Find something you like that looks good in the room - some wall art, a pillow, a throw rug - and work off of that color palate. http://www.art.com/ lets you put the wall color in the background of the picture, which I find really helpful.

Good ideas! I don't really want the focus to be on the red walls, but I think they're really hard not to notice. My thoughts are not to make the room into an airy/beachy look. I agree, I don't think it can be done. Luckily, the dining room is painted in shades of tan, reminding me of the beach. I can easily have a tropical-looking dining room.

I think your DH is more on the right track of color scheme...Dark Blue would be nice as long as you don't make it "AMericana"..lol..

I know, that's what I was afraid of with the blue couch, especially since there is some white trim in the room as well!

I believe that I would go with very neutral, or else just pick furniture based on what you will decorate your new home with. If you are actively looking for a home, then I would imagine you have a 6 month lease or so. I can't imagine spending time and money to decorate a rental home in a style that you yourself don't like. But that is just me, I guess.

We have a year's lease. Our living room furniture is a shade of dark green, so we're putting it in the family room (off-white walls) and whatever we decide for the "red room" will be used in our new house. I was trying to go with something that would match the red walls, but also look good with other color schemes.

I'm rethinking the stripes and thinnking maybe neutral colors would look best, thanks to many of you making that suggestion.

Thanks for all the links to decorating sites! I'd love to see more pics if anyone has a room with red walls that they'd like to share.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you might still be able to get a somewhat beach-y room...just stick with neutrals (ivory, beige, brown - sandy colors); lightweight fabrics like linen, light-colored woods, bamboo, rattan, sea grass...if you don't mind knickknacks, you could always use neutral-colored seashells, or take a plain glass jar or bowl, put some sand in it, then a candle or some shells...stuff like that...It wouldn't be tropical, but still have some airy/beachy elements...

 

[Imzadi]

I was thinking bamboo too. It a warm enough wood that it would offset the red. Then you can "beach" it up later when you move. Also, you might just get the furniture you really like and just use slipcovers in this place. Add a few coordinating pillows to go with the red walls. It would be a lot cheaper to pull off the slipcovers & pillow cases than get more furniture later.

 

[denisem]

See, I remember seeing lots of tropical print fabrics with touches of red when I was looking for decorating fabric.

As mentioned, I'd go with neutral furniture and use that fabric for pillows, valances, a seat cushion for a chair...and then use touches of red in accessories. I'll admit reds are difficult to match so mail order would be difficult, but here's an online link for ideas: http://www.interiormall.com/cat/ndisplaycoll.asp?c1=Fabric&book=843&pgcnt=48&orderby=Price&color=&wt=All

 

[sms]

If you want a casual look, Denim furniture looks great with red walls! Its kinda hard to find. The set I had was an oversized chair and couch. With denim furniture, any other color or theme will look great with it!

 

[AlleyKat]

I would use the "old" furniture you brought with you(assumption) and cover it using slipcovers.

I'd then purchase "accent" pieces containing red, such as throw pillows, an area rug, lampshades, things of that nature.

Purchasing new furniture for a rental house could mean a huge waste of money as it may not "fit", size wise or style wise in the house you ultimately buy!