We are in the middle of a love affair. The object of our affection is bold; it turns heads everywhere it goes; it has a tiny problem with commitment, constantly shifting focus from dresses to sweaters to shoes. The color red has had its moment in the fashion spotlight for many seasons; now, with designers predicting its rise in interiors for 2026 as well, it looks like it’s time to welcome the trend home, too.
“Red is one of the most emotional colors you can use—it holds heat, intimacy, and life,” says Pamela Shamshiri of Los Angeles-based Studio Shamshiri. “I once had a client arrive with a small brass dish filled with a pyramid of paprika as a color reference, a beautiful and precise gesture. Red can feel intimidating, but when it comes from something real, something tactile, it becomes incredibly grounding.” New York-based designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen is similarly enamored; so much so that she recently launched an entire collection (called “Life in Rouge”) based solely around the fiery hue. “Red is a color of timeless elegance; complex, and emotional,” she explains. “We’ve been in the process of re-thinking our brand identity for the past year or so, and red is a color we keep being drawn back to for its bold sophistication.”
Whether you’re looking for an interiors project to reflect a transitional period of your own or simply want to breathe a little life into a drab corner, the re-energizing properties of this bright color make it the perfect tool to kickstart a design refresh. For the daunted, London designer Anna Haines recommends balancing it with natural materials (like linen, timber, and vintage textiles) to soften its intensity. “For me, red works best when it enriches a space quietly rather than announcing itself,” she says. “I’m drawn to using it in a way that feels soulful and layered.”