Friday, February 4, 2011

Painting walls red is an inexpensive way to add pizzazz to a room and bring a lush, romantic mood into your home. But red—and any bold color—is a bear to cover up when you suffer painter’s remorse. Here’s how to find the right red and how to cover your tracks when you decide to get rid of red.

Seeing red  Painting walls red is less forgiving than, say, painting walls Linen White. Make a mistake, and you’ll feel like you’re dining inside a tomato. Change your mind, and you’ll need at least two new coats of paint to cover your regrets. Here are tips on where and which red to choose.Painting walls red can make large spaces feel more intimate, and small spaces look more interesting. Splash a little red in a powder room, or on just one wall in a den.
Bluish reds can be festive and a good choice for dining and living rooms.
Orange-hued reds are anxiety-producing colors—popular in casinos—so keep them out of the bedroom.
Paint your selection of a sheet of poster board—not on the walls—and place it in different parts of the room, at different times of the day, and in different sunlight conditions. At night, turn on lamps to see how your red reacts to artificial light.      Here’s how to neutralize red
Red walls don’t play well with new colors: Whites turn pink, yellows become orange, and blues look purplish. You won’t be able to throw up a coat of crème and call it a day.