Banish bland: 10 ways to make your home ‘pop’ with shades of red

So, you’ve decided to sell your home and have neutralised the décor with a delicate off white in preparation. Now your home lacks personality and looks like every other property on the market. How can you make it stand out?

We’ve long been a fan of carefully adding colour back into a home and accessories are a seller’s secret weapon. Easy to get hold of, relatively cheap to buy and portable, accessories can make a temporary impact and move with you to your next home.

This season, it’s all about red. It’s a colour that demands attention and turns heads – something sellers should note. 

Red makes an interior memorable – essential when buyers are seeing multiple properties and may struggle with recall. “The house with the red arm chair” is easier to remember than something insipid. And red draws the eye: use it to highlight a feature or distract from something else. 

If you’re recoiling at the thought of red as it’s too bold and brash, it’s time to reacquaint yourself with different shades.

• Clear reds: traditional, vibrant reds are evocative of fire engines, Ferraris and post boxes. Scarlet and bright red fall into this category, often carrying blue undertones. Although loud and direct, clear reds work in small doses, especially when paired with crisp white.

• Orange-reds: these are the result of clear reds being mixed with tinges of yellow and brown. Popular shades include coral, terracotta and vermillion. Orange-reds are soft on the eye and sit well alongside natural wood.

• Pinky-reds: pinky-reds are perhaps the most palatable. Different hues, including ruby, raspberry, rose and crimson, are created when varying amounts of white and blue are added to clear reds. Pinky-reds are happiest at home in bedrooms. 

• Dark reds: loved in period settings for their luxurious richness, dark reds have depth thanks to purple and brown undertones. Oxblood, carmine, maroon and burgundy are popular shades but can be oppressive if used extensively. They are, however, great shades to use in living rooms, dining rooms and studies. 

Bold colours do polarise, so you might want to avoid painting red on your most prominent walls. Instead, think about flashes of red that come from accessories. 

Here are 10 ways to introduce red into your home:

1. White bathroom suits can be updated by swapping out worn family towels with a fresh set in a deep merlot wine or an almost-pink pomegranate. 

2. Bedside lamps in bedrooms can be given a new lease of life with cranberry-coloured shades. Look for pleated or patterned examples for extra interest.

3. A cream sofa loaded with red cushions in different textures and fabrics will ‘pop’ when your house is photographed.

4. A pot on your front doorstep planted with red geraniums, petunias and begonias will make an excellent first impression when people arrive to view your home.

5. A red and white striped blind looks great at a bathroom or cloakroom window. 

6. Paint a bookshelf red in an otherwise neutrally-decorated room.

7. Find a print or painting with a red theme and hang it on a bare wall.

8.  Kitchens can be lifted out of the humdrum with a few red accessories: a smart red casserole dish left on the hob, a red fruit bowl or red tea towels can inject colour.

9. Double up and add stems of fresh red flowers to a red vase. Place on a coffee table, a mantelpiece or a dining table.

10. Dress garden furniture with red cushions and throws to draw attention to your outside space.

If you’re inspired to revamp your interior ahead of a sale, contact us for advice. With 1,000s of property photos and viewings under our belt, we know what makes the best first impressions.