Let storage carry the red
Shelves and cupboard fronts share one tomato-red finish. The passage beside them stays clear of the sitting group.
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ROOM 104 · Living Room
The tomato-red room without drama
Published
A modern townhouse, conceived for Bristol.
The red is doing a practical job: it gathers the shelves and cupboards into one wall. A pale sofa and lilac return let that large area of colour remain distinct from the seats.
See the product sourcesTHE DESIGN
The red belongs to an entire storage wall, including its shelves. The passage remains to one side, so crossing the house does not cut between the sofa and chair. Plain contemporary window frames and a clean ceiling edge let the colour carry the architecture.
A red velvet chair repeats some of the wall warmth in a softer material. The black marble table is a darker shape between the seats. Its round edge avoids projecting corners on the way past.
The Dancing print has enough energy of its own. Its pink belongs with the lilac, but the figures keep it from becoming a colour swatch. The rest of the room can remain fairly spare: one useful lamp, a few textiles and enough surface left for ordinary life.
WHY THE ROOM WORKS
Red settles down when the surrounding shapes know what they are doing.
Colour palette
- Tomato red
- Pale lilac
- Warm white
- Chocolate
Give red a pale neighbour
Lilac changes how the red reads without adding another saturated surface to compete with it.
Round the route
The circular black-marble table leaves softer corners in the path between the sofa and chair.
Figures on the wall
The pink Dancing print puts a figurative subject beside the room's larger blocks of colour. It can be enjoyed from the seats without adding another pattern to the upholstery.
WHAT TO BORROW
Try the red on one complete piece of joinery, including its shelves. Judge the pale wall beside it at the same time; the boundary between them matters.
THE PIECES BEHIND THE DESIGN
Shop this room
The design began with these pieces from our Shop. Open each product for its exact size, finish and retailer details.
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Otto Sofa: Brushed Linen Cotton Sofa · 2 Seater - White
Brushed Linen Cotton Sofa · 2 Seater - White
The Roost
The Otto's composed outline lets the red wall take the lead; the sofa does not need an equally demonstrative silhouette.
£2,000.00
Sofia Armchair, Red Velvet
The Roost
The red velvet Sofia carries the wall colour into a smaller, softer object, making the strong paint feel deliberate.
£2,095.00
Karoko Marble Coffee Table
Black
Nkuku
Marble gives the centre of the room a pale, cool surface against the red and chocolate tones.
£420.00
Binary Pastel Flatweave Wool Rug
Designed by Kangan Arora - Beige / 160 x 230cm
The Roost
Binary Pastel introduces a gentler colour register at floor level, keeping the tomato-red scheme from becoming theatrical.
£1,130.00
Dancing Print by By Garmi
The Roost
The pink Dancing print mediates between the red wall and lilac notes, rather than simply repeating the strongest colour.
£119.00
Reflection Oval Table Lamp
The Roost
A white oval lamp supplies a calm shape and a local glow beside the more saturated surfaces.
£285.00
Tussi Mara Cushion Cover: Dusty Pink · 50 x 50 cm
Dusty Pink · 50 x 50 cm
Nkuku
The Tussi Mara cover brings a small woven layer to the sofa, where the larger colour decisions have already been made.
£65.00
Chara Hammered Bottle: Large · Antique Brass & Clear Glass
Large · Antique Brass & Clear Glass
Nkuku
Hammered metal adds a restrained glint on the table without requiring another bright accent.
£55.00
Dhara Velvet Cushion Cover: Charcoal · 60 x 40 cm
Charcoal · 60 x 40 cm
Nkuku
Velvet makes the pale secondary colour feel substantial enough to sit beside the red upholstery.
£55.00