Red Color Schemes

Red Color Schemes from the Color Wheel

Here are a selection of red color schemes derived from the color wheel, you can see how the color red can be used on its own or teamed up with others from the color wheel to make stunning color combinations.

Red is a popular color in interior decorating, but it can be overwhelming if you don’t know how to use it properly. The color wheel is a great tool for showing you the different color combinations you can create with red.

A red monochromatic color scheme provides a sensuous feeling to a room.

A red and green complementary color scheme provides wonderful contrast, one of the colors should dominate and the other used as an accent.

A red bedspread for example, accented with green pillows with a red fringe. This provides an exciting color combination.

A red, blue – green and yellow – green, split complementary color scheme allows you to introduce other colors whilst still retaining a high contrast scheme. This works well with floral or patterned fabrics, using them for drapery, upholstery and bedding. This creates a powerful meaning to a color scheme.

Red, yellow and blue, a triadic color scheme ( in this case the primary colors) creates a stimulating and bold use of red based on a strong chroma (brightness of the color) but if used with a tint (white added to a color) we get quite a different feel, pink, lemon, and baby blue, this creates a warm and luxurious use of the color.

Red, red – violet, and violet, an example of an analogous color scheme. This type of scheme is easy on the eye as it uses colors that are beside each other on the color wheel and therefore closely related. It is useful to use when you want to make a harmonious space but does create more movement than a simple monochromatic scheme. Vigorous comes to mind for this use of red.

Red suggests luxury, great to use as an accent in a living room with cushions.

Red, red – violet, green and yellow green make up a dual complementary color scheme. This allows you to combine multiple colors knowing that they will work in harmony. Ideal for patterned fabrics, florals, using different finishes in one room for example wallpaper, upholstery fabric and drapes, tiles and flower arrangements. This is a brave and physical use of the color red.

Red, orange, green and blue combine to form a tetrad color scheme. This type of combination allows for a greater range of different colors to be combined, similar advantages as the dual complementary, but just adds more color variation. Ideal to use when you want to have lots of movement and action, the red takes on an advancing and celebratory feeling.

More Color Schemes

Red Color Meanings

How to use the Color Wheel

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