From Cherry to Crimson: How Pops of Unexpected Red Have Coloured our Homes, Fashion & Faces.
Temperatures are soaring at a rapid rate and it’s not just the summer sand that’s starting to feel red hot. Whether it’s cherry red, crimson, burgundy or oxblood; the rise of unexpected red in recent homewares, fashion, makeup and manicure trends is the only red flag we should be falling for.
What kicked off as a trend earlier this year by Taylor Simon – a Brooklyn-based interior decorator – via a now viral TikTok which was picked up and covered by the New York Times - The “Unexpected Red Theory” as Taylor explains “is basically adding anything red, big or small, to a room where it doesn’t match… and it automatically looks better”. She then goes on to provide visual examples of this theory in play, highlighting how colour combinations combining red with unexpected hues like purple can defy the odds to work in harmony, as well as examples where the colour red has been successfully applied to more traditionally quiet homeware pieces e.g. a Victorian portrait painting which is framed in a thick, vibrant shade of cherry red. (Funnily enough, here at Gigi&Tom we have just the wall art to emulate this example!)
Beauty fanatics also picked up on this colour pop trend with abandon. While a classic red lip (Hello Taylor Swift!) never goes out of style, the beauty industry has been riding the rouge wave hard from 2023 till now. We’ve had multiple iterations from the flushed cheeks of Cold Girl makeup to Hailey Bieber inspired Tomato Girl makeup to the slightly softer, Strawberry Girl aesthetic which has become synonymous with pocket-rocket songstress Sabrina Carpenter. And now we find ourselves in the throws of the latest trend, the cleverly coined, highly pigmented case of “blush blindness”. Let’s not forget our fingers in light of our faces; 2024 also saw the rise of the Red Nail Theory, with this punchy colour du jour potentially overthrowing the soft, clean girl nail aesthetic that came before it.
Runways and fashion retailers also channelled this colour-based trend particularly in their accessory lines. Jacquemus released his Le Bisou bag in a shocking shade of cherry red, athleisure giant Adidas decked our feet in red-hot hued Samba’s and Gazelles and Prada’s perennially out of stock slingbacks were released in a spicy red patent leather colourway.
There is no denying that red as a hue can be polarising, with diverse connotations associated with the colour including but not limited to feelings of passion, love, anger and danger. And while some may consider certain associations to be negative, there is no denying that the colour is both striking visually and strikes a chord emotively. In this respect, we see the colour red as a powerful tool for amateur and professional decorators to wield, master and manipulate the desired intention and feeling of one’s space whether that be a professional or personal environment.
Why are we keen advocates for this design theory?
- It allows you to easily alter and set the intention and mood of your room
- Versatility: Depending on the application, this trend can be used in a maximalist or minimalist way. A grand, bold application could include an entirely red painted feature wall or a red leather or fabric couch; whereas a more discreet adoption of the trend could include pops of red in small decorative objects such as red lamps, kitchenware, or bathroom textiles.
- Diversity: Not all reds are created equal; with a spectrum of shades spanning cool-toned blue based reds to warm-leaning rich, deep burgundies, the odds are in your favour that there is a hue for you (and your room).
- Cost-effective style update: By focusing on smaller, more cost-effective pieces, you can easily alter the aesthetic of your space without having to overhaul your entire decorative suite.
- Focal point: Due to the highly saturated nature of this hue, it provides an excellent means of drawing one’s eye or attention to a specific spot in a room (or similarly, distracting away from a less aesthetically pleasing area).
- Conveys warmth: The warm connotations of the colour red can help to create a feeling of warmth in a space; an excellent placebo effect during the chillier months.
Take a peek through our range of red homewares, whether daintily dipping your toe with some small décor items or embracing your inner diva with a full colour refresh.
Happy Styling x GIGI&TOM
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