With Valentine’s Day fast approaching it had me thinking about my complicated relationship with the color red. Designing with the color red can be complex, much like the color itself. Red is intense and many color experts describe it as the color of passion, power, love and danger. I used the color red in a bathroom for a client who was passionate about Brazil and they loved it.

I did a little research on what the color red means in cultures worldwide. I find this helpful as a great jumping off point for the design of a room. For example, I designed a master suite for couple trying to conceive and for them the red walls symbolized love, luck and passion. Here’s what color expert Kate Smith says:

• Russia: Beauty
• China: Good luck & fortune
• Japan: Mythological
• Jamaica: Slang for drunk
• India: A red mark on the forehead brings good luck
• Hindu: Joy, life, energy, and creativity
• Islamic, Hindu, and Chinese brides: Love

I also designed a room in thirty minutes for Pier 1 Imports to raise money for Safe Horizon. Pier 1 Imports provided the home goods and we were given British Colonial style. Needless to say, I amped up the color red and it gave the room punch.

If you’re thinking about designing a room with the color red take a nod from the color itself and just do it! Be daring and bold. Good luck (no pun intended)!

Last 5 posts by Krista Watterworth

• Splurge & Save: Chic Outdoor Space - March 3rd, 2010
• Splurge & Save: Tuscan Country Kitchen - February 18th, 2010
• Splurge & Save: Modern Playspace - February 10th, 2010
• Splurge & Save: From BLAH to MOD - February 3rd, 2010
• Organize the Kitchen - January 27th, 2010

Author: Krista Watterworth

Krista Watterworth considers herself a true multi-tasker: mom, author, television personality, and interior designer. Krista starred in four seasons of HGTV's Save My Bath as host-designer and in 2009 will star in a new HGTV show called Splurge & Save. She has quickly gained celebrity for branding her unique aesthetic. According to Krista, designing and performing have two things in common: you have to delve into the heart of a person (or a character) to find out their intimate secrets, and then create an entirely personal world around that.

Krista Watterworth has written 80 articles for us.