Whilst red and blue aren’t exact opposites on the colour wheel, they’re pretty close to it. This clashing quality can make the two brights seem daunting to work with together, but simple white borders will balance out and tame the bold combo. The resulting fresh contrast evokes an energised and cheerful character in the room, which brings great warmth along with it. To avoid over-saturating blank space with colourful elements, break up cold expanses with a thread of neutral blonde wood or smooth golden accents. We’ve gathered together three expertly executed interiors that illustrate how to get this balance just right, whether your home style is compact minimalist, artistic chic, or sophisticated elegance.
In Saint-Petersburg, Russia, this red and blue one bedroom apartment interior was designed for young female homeowner. A set of nesting coffee tables bring in the first bright blast of red, which creates a hot clash against a deep blue sofa design. A black floor lamp adds stark contrast to the white wainscot wall.
A white kitchen continues the room’s colourless border, so that the red and blue elements remain the stars of this minimalist show.
The wall mounted TVs set camouflages into a background of basic black.
Built-in storage disappears into the white wall treatment.
A white dining room pendant light gains attention with a heavily textured shade.
Perimeter lights accentuate the decorative molding across the living room wall.
The round pedestal dining table brings a wood tone element into the scheme. Wooden dining chairs are topped with cheerful red cushions.
A white modern fruit bowl cleanly continues the line of the white table stem.
A colour coordinated faucet and integrated oven quietly blend with the one wall white kitchen. The oven’s red electronic display takes the colour theme down to the tiniest detail.
The end of the kitchen cabinet run is faced with a custom cut full length mirror, set inside a bold black frame.
A black framed entryway hall tree bench occupies the opposite side of the small home entryway.
A striking cherry red entry door inside a colour matched frame dominates the entryway niche.
Directly opposite the front door, a dash of red stripes between closet doors, hinting at the colour scheme that continues inside the home.
Black door hardware and light switches interrupt the ice white paintwork.
A terrazzo headboard brings a flurry of colour to the white bedroom. Black modern wall sconces mingle with the coloured chips at each side of the headboard, where they illuminate small black bedside tables.
Minimalistic handle-free plain white wardrobes make no fanfare by the bed.
Over on the bedroom TV wall, a slimline drawer unit doubles as both a media shelf and a dressing table.
Inside the bathroom, a white vertical radiator, wall hung toilet and modern flush plate all sink into a colourless background.
A dark terrazzo floor treatment and light terrazzo shower wall bring life to the party.
Shelving nooks have been tucked into the side of the cistern wall that forms part of the shower frame. This clever use of the void also keeps toiletries tidily out of sight from the main bathroom area.
An attention demanding red vanity unit lords over the bathroom.
Terrazzo tiles form an enlivened backsplash.
This chic apartment is filled with artistic statements, wrapped in a riot of red and blue.
The unique accent rug is fashioned like a translucent colour overlay, which brings a tonal pop of red to the lounge.
Sculptural blue accent chairs sit brightly on the red base note.
A rounded rectangle coffee table complements the smooth outline of the unusual lounge chairs.
A large red pendant light hovers above the loud lounge design.
The open plan room bends around at a right angle, where a long white dining island leads into the kitchen. Two blue window frames contribute the color element, whilst natural timber chairs warm through the expanse of white tile.
A wood frame and white tile bench reclines beneath a blue sided modern staircase design.
Dark cabinets balance out the stark white kitchen decor.
Our last tour is a sophisticated scheme with elegant modern furniture. This time, a cool grey canvas has been employed to disrupt the red and blue elements in place of basic white.
A unique coffee table scrolls a golden element into the centre of the spacious living room.
A matching gold sculptural side table lustres beneath an elegant floor lamp.
At the back of the open plan living room, a baseline of gold cabinets draws across the kitchen.
A collection of ruby red dining chairs is disrupted by one solitary sapphire counterpart.
Floor to ceiling balcony doors spill natural light over the colourful luxury dining room. The sunlight passes through clear perspex legs on the long rectangular table.
A modern dining room chandelier sends great loops of light down the table’s length, and adds another touch of gold to the luxe room scheme.
A neat contemporary fireplace flickers on the lounge wall, burning as bright as the red lounge chairs beside it. Glossy black and a gold carafes shine on the golden kitchen countertop.
A bridging benchtop connects two separate volumes of kitchen cabinets, one with the kitchen sink set in and the other with the cooktop. An eye-catching gold chimney extractor descends upon the hob.
