Red is arguably the boldest color on the spectrum. In fact, many consider using red in your home or office a power move. However, it's not as simple as painting your room red or buying a red sofa. You need to have a good understanding of the colors that go with red.
A good place to start would be understanding the color wheel. There are 3 primary colors, 3 secondary colors, and 6 tertiary colors.
- The main primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.
- The secondary colors are made by mixing the primary colors. These are green, orange, and purple.
- The tertiary colors are made by mixing the primary and secondary colors. These include red-violet, blue-green, red-orange, yellow-green, yellow-orange, and blue-violet.
The most complementary colors are often those that stay opposite from one another on the color wheel. For example, red and green, and purple and yellow.
Image Source: printrunner.com
Why are we even talking about primary colors and the color wheel? Because we want you to have a basic understanding of how colors work to get the best effect. With great power comes great responsibility, and if you want to use red, you should be able to handle the responsibility of pairing it properly.
One more thing to note before we get started is that you should avoid pairing red - which is a dominant color - with other dominant colors. This is especially true when you want your red to stand out.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get started with our list of colors that go with red.
What Colors Go With Red?
1. Strawberry + Pink
The best thing about interior design is that anything is possible. Therefore, before you scoff and move on to our next color combination, hear us out.
Strawberry and pink may give off a Valentine's Day vibe, but it can be more than that, especially when you pair these colors properly.
A good example is this beautiful pink space. Do you see how that metallic rug creates an amazing contrast? This is a great way to pair these two colors. Incorporating darker hues grounds these colors.
Image Source: sightunseen.com
Another way you can combine red and pink is through artwork. You can get artwork that has this color combination if you don't want to paint your entire room red or pink.
2. Currant Red + Charcoal
Currant red is a deep shade of red and makes for amazing interior design combinations. A good example is this currant red and charcoal combination.
Image Source: arborand.co
As you can see in this image, there's more charcoal than currant red in this room which gives a cozy and earthy vibe. However, this doesn't mean that you have to do it this way. You can use equal amounts of currant red and charcoal or mix them up however you want.
After all, charcoal is a subdued version of black, and black goes very well with red.
3. White + Red
This classic combination is perfect for minimalist spaces. Therefore, if you have a white interior theme, you can add a piece of furniture or work of art that's red in color to add a pop of color.
On the other hand, you could also do it the other way and use a white piece of art or furniture to act as an accent color. Whatever way you decide to do it, you will surely feel the effect of this classic combination.
Image Source: homedit.com
4. Maroon + Lime Green
Maroon goes great with lime green. Do you remember how we talked about the color wheel and how colors on opposite sides of the spectrum complement each other the best? Well, here's a classic example of red and green complementing each other.
Image Source: architecturaldigest.com
In addition to pairing lime green with maroon, you can also pair it with various burgundy shades. Burgundy is a dark red-purplish color, and pairing it with lime green creates a sophisticated and balanced effect.
5. Poppy + Blue
Poppy is a strong reddish-orange and goes well with darker blues.
This is a good color combination to go for if you want to create a cozy vibe that goes well beyond those warm winter nights chilling by the fire.
Image Source: sukio.com
In addition to creating a cozy vibe, this combination also gives your dining room or other space a grounded feel.
6. Scarlet + Copper
Scarlet is a bright red color that has an orange tinge. On the other hand, copper is a brighter shade of brown and can be said to be more of a reddish-brown color.
So, how do these different shades work together?
Image Source: thespruce.com
The vibrancy in the scarlet brings out the warm undertones in the copper. For the best results, place these colors all around the room where they can easily complement each other.
7. Burgundy + Olive Green
Here's another scenario where red and green go well together. If you are a holiday lover, you will especially love this combination because of the cozy warmth that it oozes.
Image Source: lushome.com
Olive green isn't like the lime green above. Instead, it exudes a certain warmth that other common greens lack. In fact, if you look closely, you'll notice the golden hue that this olive green has. This is part of why this combination gives your living room an elegant feel.
8. Rose Red + Jade Green
It seems like green is really making its mark on our list today, huh? Well, this rose red, and the jade-green combination works really great on printed pieces.
Image Source: mydomaine.com
Therefore, you don't have to splash rose-red all over your walls to get this effect. In fact, you can mix jade green with different shades of red, and you'll still get that amazing feel.
9. Red + Black
Red and black is a powerful combination. Imagine entering a living room or office that has this color combination. Wouldn't you feel the effect? If you have small kids, this might be a bit too bold for them.
However, you can try this combination if you live alone or have a home office. You can have red walls and black furniture pieces, or the other way around.
Image Source: aliciaconnollydesign.com
The Red and black combination is also a good option if you want to create contrast in your space.
10. Red + Natural Wood
Red and natural wood both have strong warm undertones, which is why they go well together. If you have lots of natural wood in your space and want to spice up the place or brighten things up a bit, consider getting something red.
This can be a red couch, chaise lounge, or even a small red chair. This will act as a statement piece and make the place look brand new. If you're thinking of a couch, check out these best couches under $1000 for great options.
Image Source: andreabraundstaging.com
Incorporating red can be a good idea when you feel like you're getting bored of your space because it can brighten your mood and restart your home experience.
This is especially the case when you work from home. It can get pretty boring seeing the same thing every day, and there are only so many ways that you can change up your living room arrangement.
11. Bright Red + Gold + Seafoam
Seafoam is a shade of green that resembles most trees and grasses. Therefore, if you are a nature lover and you want to bring some of that outdoors magic inside, consider combing a bright red piece with some gold and seafoam.
Why gold and red? Because the combination of these three colors creates an elegant and glamorous feel.
Image Source: communedesign.com
For example, in this design by Commune Design, you can see how they paired these three colors with a light turquoise cushion. Doesn't this ooze a chilled, homely, and glamorous vibe?
12. Red + White + Cornflower Blue
This combination gives your space a very chilled vibe. Think morning in a penthouse in New York type of vibes. Whether you have a large budget to play around with or not, you can still make this vibe work for you.
Image Source: housebeautiful.com
The best part about having cornflower blue in the picture is that you can change up the vibe by changing the shades of red. So if you want your place to be brighter, choose brighter shades of red.
On the other hand, if want a calmer vibe, go for darker shades of red such as burgundy or maroon.
13. Red + Amethyst
Whoever said purple was the color of royalty was spot on. Now, combine this royal color with red, and you get absolute magic. I mean, look at this space. Wouldn't you feel like you've been transported to some castle in Europe?
Image Source: housebeautiful.com
The red in this apartment adds a spot of color that complements the amethyst and light violet vibes going on. You can also choose to add some more red to your color scheme if you feel one piece is not enough.
14. Red + White + Yellow
Before you run for hills, hear us out. Although this combination may seem a bit much, it can actually brighten up your place in ways you weren't expecting.
This color combination creates a warm, happy, and vibrant vibe in your home or office.
Image Source: home-designing.com
Although it may not seem like it at first, red + yellow is a powerful combination. It oozes power and confidence, especially when you pair it nicely.
If you work in the creative industry, this color scheme will do wonders for your creativity. After all, yellow radiates positivity, boosts your creativity and energizes you.
15. Red + Brown
Brown is a great color to have on your walls. However, it can easily become boring if you don't have other vibrant colors in the room.
To prevent this from happening, consider adding some pops of red across the room. This can also work if it's your furniture that's brown and not your walls.
You can also use brown to cool down the effect of red walls.
Image Source: decorilla.com
Playing around with this color scheme can yield nice results and make your space feel warm and cozy. This color combination can also make a cold and big space feel cozy and welcoming.
16. Burgundy + Beige
Beige has warm undertones that go well with burgundy and other warm reds.
Image Source: home-designing.com
This combination has an elegant and regal feel that can warm up any space. Whether you have kids in the house or you live alone, try out this color combination and see how others will respond to the new vibe.
This color combination also has a way of making your home feel warm and inviting. In fact, if you have a business and you want your clients to feel comfortable as they wait in the lobby, consider using these interior design colors.
17. Poppy + Forest Green
We saw how well poppy goes with darker blues. Now, it's time to try it with forest green.
Image Source: dazeyden.com
Forest Green is a color that goes with many other colors, including various shades of red. Consider pairing forest green with patterned reds if you want a more textured feel.
A good example is what is happening in the image above. Although solid reds also work, you'll feel the bohemian vibe more if you go for printed red pieces. You can even do this with a few patterned throw pillows.
And if they get dirty, you don't have to worry because we've got you covered with this guide on how to wash throw pillows.
Final Thoughts
Which of these colors did you feel paired well with red? Let us know which design you decide to start with.
You can play around with red as much as you want to get the desired effect. However, avoid pairing it with other dominant colors since it already stands out on its own.
