I Heart Red! Decorating with Red in time for Valentine's Day!

A groundbreaking study performed by University of Rochester psychologists in the Fall of 2008 demonstrated that the color red makes men feel more amorous toward women.  Five psychological experiments were performed by Professor of Psychology, Andrew Elliot, and Daniela Niesta, post-doctoral researcher.  The best part of the study was that it indicated that men were unaware of the role the color plays in their attraction (which should make all of you single women out there want to immediately don a red dress!).  This study was probably the first that provided some statistical support for society's ongoing love affair with red.  Andrew Elliot said that this study was the only work to scientifically document the effects of a color on behavior in the context of human relationships.

For those of you interested in decoration and design, you will likely agree that the color of a room can dramatically affect the way you feel when you are sitting in it.  A yellow room can make you feel cheerful and bright; blue can be calming; pink can make you feel girlish; deep hues of brown and tan can make you feel ready for Fall, a crisp fire and perhaps a visit to the local hunt or polo match.  Red runs the gamut and I think overall just brings punch to a room and whether that adds romance or just excitement, it definitely evokes emotion.  Just in time for Valentine's Day, I have selected some of my favorite rooms incorporating red from some of my favorite publications:

Diana Vreeland's "garden in hell" by Billy Baldwin - perhaps the most famous red room!  Photo from housebeautiful.com

Photo from Countryliving.com

Red Wellies from Countryliving.com

Photo from SouthernAccents.com

Red hand-painted checkerboard floor - what fun! Countryliving.com

Suburban New York Dining Room by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz

Red Toile Wallpaper on Countryliving.com

Red hand-painted dishes and linens - Countryliving.com

Red Gingham fabric covered chair - Countryliving.com

Red Monograms - Countryliving.com

Bright Red Office - Countryliving.com

Apple Red Curtains - Countryliving.com

Rich red patterns - Countryliving.com

Country Cranberry - SouthernAccents.com

A bold persimmon red and white foyer - Housebeautiful.com

If these photos have inspired you and you love all things red, check out my "Seeing Red Collection" at my site, The Well Appointed House...I went through my product collection and assembled some of our more fabulous red pieces.

Here are a few fun ones:

Belted Red Ottoman:

Clover Mirrored Table in Red:

Jacqui Console in Red:

Jonathan Adler Lacquer Umbrella Stand in Red:

Mikado Table

There are many more red items to check out - whether you want to spice up your bedroom or simply give a gift.  Bookmark my site and stay tuned for more fabulous finds!  Happy Valentine's Day!

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