Recommend me a red for a winter living room

[DitaVonCheese]

I feel vair posh typing that

When our extension is built then we will effectively have two living rooms (though new one will be open plan with dining area, but will be west-facing with big windows facing the garden :)). Current one will be (presumably) a lot darker than it is now - will have east-facing window one end and then double doors onto the extension at the west end. Will also have a stove in it by the end of the month

In my dreamy visions of what the house will look like when it's done, this living room is where I'll snuggle up with DH in the evening to watch TV while the fire roars, and the other one is where I'll sit with a cup of tea and a good novel during the day to oversee the DC playing happily in the garden. Pretty sure that's how it'll work.

Anyway, was wondering whether red would be nice for the walls of this living room, in a cosy sort of way. Sofa and carpet will be sensible brown, ceiling and paintwork probably white. We have picture rails with white above. Am also slightly in love with this fabric from Ikea so could maybe match the red in it? Or will it be too dark? Can anyone recommend a nice red for walls?

Just to clarify, you're asking about red for the walls in the darker room that will have the stove?

I think the red in the curtains is a little too bright - for it to be a 'winter' colour I would favour the reds that head more towards burgandy. Also, wouldn't paint all of the walls red brings to mind a MRDER ROOM to me, not cosy inside against the winter particularly if it does end up quite a dark room.

Also, the fabric for the curtains has a rather summery feel, not cosy.

I might be thinking about the wrong room though!

Yes, sorry

The curtains would be on the double doors between the two rooms, so bridging the two. Outer living room will prob be off-white.

We have Farrow and Ball Rectory Red in our cosy sitting room. www.farrow-ball.com/rectory-red/coloursfcp-product/100217 We also have a wood burner and it's my favourite room in the winter, especially at Christmas.

We have very pale, matt gold curtains which go well.

I too think your curtain material might be a bit too sunny if you want to achieve "cosy".

I agree that that is summery curtain fabric. Wintery needs to be darker and heavier. Our old sitting room was Dulux Ruby 4 (from the mix it up like a milkshake counter) below the dado rail, and Dulux Barley white above. It was v cosy. Beige carpet and cream brocade curtains.

Scarlet by Laura Ashley is fabulous. It looks slightly pink when wet but dries to a beautiful ecclesiastical red when dry. I wouldn't paint all the walls in it because it would be overpowering in a dark room. Definitely a cosy colour as a backdrop though.

We have that exact shade of farrow and ball rectory red (but cheaper). Haven't got round to curtains yet but the other walls (it is a sunken corner of an open plan) are probably a similar shade to the pale gold you have...

Those curtains screech summery, unless you are going to do a very upbeat red/ white holly snow thang... But I don't think it would be cosy. Mine is all dark and books...

I wanted slightly pinker/ raspberry, but dh vetoed. I'm not an orangey red person.

I think this kind of thing is really lovely. Red and pale gold and browns are warm and cozy together without being overpowering.

Avid watcher...this is an ambition of design for me

That's exactly what I was going for, sriracha. Interesting they have used blue accents because of the fireplace surround - we had a dilemma as it all fairly open plan and we have blue tile flooring in a large swathe of the rest of the level - the red and gold bit is a honey ish hardwood. Can't afford to replace any flooring!

I think the little bits of blue look great with that colour scheme. You could do similar by adding blue accents (velvet toss cushions, throw rugs or accessories) to tie in the blue tiles in the rest of the house. You could also do a large area rug in the hardwood area that has a pattern with all those colours.

I've been looking at rugs for a year

And cushions. I covet some of the oka ones, tbh, but am fretty about the reds. Have been looking for that magic fabric with all of the colours in... But soft velvety blocks might work too.

Tempted to add in a bit of blue, dita?

I'm always looking at rugs too...in case i find that perfect one .

Dita, I think the brown sofa and carpet will look lovely with red walls but that you should maybe do the curtains in a heavier fabric (beige or gold or some sort of bold pattern or stripe with red in it...agree the Ikea one is more summery). I love the sound of your wintery room with a stove .

We have a corner rock fireplace... Am envious of the stove though! You also need two Labradors, by the way. just to cosy things up properly. (And then when you are in the sun room, they can be frolicking in the garden with the children...)

Am also envious of the garden. We have a forest outside. With bears in. it looks pretty in the snow, but isn't practical!

Suggest sage green velvet curtains and that Rectory Red (delish!).

The Rectory Red is lovely and very cosy. I think you want a slightly "dirty" red rather than the clean, bright red in that Ikea fabric. In other words like dried blood rather than fresh blood (sorry but best description I can think of!)

I would use it on all the walls. As long as you have white ceiling, woodwork and above the picture rail it shouldn't be too overpowering. Also lots of pictures/mirrors on the walls to break it up a bit.

Re fabrics - Malabar and Ian Mankin were my first thoughts, for fabrics which will have a bit of muted/rich red, bit of brown and bit of beige/white. They might also have some blue in if you are lucky

Many thanks - I am liking the Rectory Red (and particularly the thought of a cheaper version ).

I think I used to have Scarlet in my last bedroom ... I had this wallpaper on one wall then red either side to match the flowers and then white on the other walls (L-shaped room) - it was another fairly dark room and I worked nights so wanted it to be cosy and womblike - it was just gorgeous.

Re fabric with many colours in it, stick with me here but I used to have a three piece suite covered in a kind of tapestry leopard print fabric (I have just outed myself to anyone who knows me in real life) which overall was in shades of brown (as you'd expect) but up close had many different colours including gold, red, green and blue ... it was very lovely (really!).

Would it make a difference if I described the red sitting room as a night room rather than a winter one ... ?

Heh heh... I have a nest chair that looks like varying shades of mid brown, but up close has red, gold and even blue threads in. it is underneath the picture window in said red room, and is mahoosive. Dh and all three kids can fit in it. I like it on my own!

I like the wallpaper. Dh would hate it though.