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Habitat plus - I see red

It’s not just a fashion thing – the colour red seems to be a perennial favourite at this end of the world.

Maybe it’s the saturated, strong quality of our light, or the brightly flowering pohutukawa and wattle trees to which we’ve grown so attached. We happily wear, paint our walls, drive in and accessorise our houses with red. In fact, Resene Pohutukawa is a hugely popular paint, blazing off front doors, kitchen cabinets and walls throughout the land.

For such a strong colour, red comes in many, many varieties – from magenta with its pink undertones, through to deep ox-blood. It’s a hue associated with passion, energy and a healthy appetite. Pale bright red, like Resene Candy Floss, is all about romantic love, but switch to a saturated true red, like Resene Havoc, and it becomes more, well, erotic.

Beware! Although it’s a passionate colour, beware of using too much red in the bedroom – it could increase your pulse rate and stop you getting a good night’s sleep. The i see red best option might be to have it as a statement wall behind the bed, so you’ll see and enjoy the colour when you’re in the room but it won’t be overpowering.

Red feature wall
Resene Flame Red feature wall with other walls in Resene Gallery; designed by architect Daniel Marshall.

Red also represents the passion of anger and war, and is often seen in uniforms and national flags. It’s a highly visible colour, used in stop signs, on fire engines and also in advertising to attract attention and stimulate your senses.

Add more black to red, like Resene Dynamite, and it becomes sophisticated and mellow, reminiscent of red wine, velvet curtains and Oriental rugs. Add white and, of course, it becomes pink.

In interiors, red has often been used as a feature wall, a backdrop of strong colour at one end of a room. It’s a good solution for those who find red too overpowering on all their walls.

Red is traditionally used in areas where food is eaten. It stimulates appetite, so restaurants love it – and at home, we can do the same in our dining rooms.

Did you know: That a red wall around a fireplace or on a chimney breast gives a feeling of warmth, even if the fire’s not lit, and a red front door or entrance lends a feeling of luxury and opulence?

Red in the library, dining room and kitchen
Left: Resene Pohutukawa library nook with Resene Quarter Lemon Grass walls in the foreground; designed by Eddie Van Uden.
Center: Resene Raspberry dining room.
Right: Resene Sensual Red kitchen with walls in Resene Half Perfect Taupe and trims in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream; designed by kitchen architect Toni Roberts.


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Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

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