The Tamesis
We are in a relationship. The object of our love is bold; it turns heads everywhere it goes; it has a slight problem with commitment, constantly shifting the focus from dress to sweater to shoes. Red has been a focal point in the fashion world for many seasons. Now, with designers predicting this trend for interiors in 2026, it seems it’s time to welcome this trend home.
“Red is one of the most emotional colors you can work with, connoting passion, intimacy and life,” says Pamela Shamshiri of Studio Shamshiri in Los Angeles. “I once had a client hold a small brass plate filled with pyramids of paprika as a color reference. It was a beautiful and precise gesture. Red can be intimidating, but when it comes from something real and tactile, it becomes incredibly grounding.” New York designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen was equally fascinated. So much so that she recently launched an entire collection (called “Life in Rouge”) centered entirely around the fiery hue. “Red is a timeless and elegant color; sophisticated and sensual,” she explains. “We’ve been rethinking our brand identity over the past year or so, and red is a color that continues to appeal to us because of its bold yet sophisticated nature.”
Whether you’re looking for an interior project that reflects your own transitional period or just want to inject a little life into a drab corner, the re-energizing properties of this bright color make it the perfect tool for kickstarting a design update. For the faint of heart, London designer Anna Haynes recommends balancing it with natural materials such as linen, wood and vintage textiles to soften its intensity. “For me, red works best when it quietly enriches a space rather than asserting itself,” she says. “I like to use it in a soulful and layered way.”
