Every successful home scheme needs an accent colour, and Chinese Red is a timeless top pick. A room entirely decorated in this shade might be too much, but a pop of this rich red on a feature wall or for a few key items, especially if finished in gloss or lacquer, will look amazing. Think of it as the red lipstick of the home.
1 A proper red. A real Chinese red has quite a bit of orange in it, which gives it a lustre that’s pretty intense. As such we’d only ever recommend this colour as an accent for a feature wall or key accessories. This home is a masterclass in its usage, as the owners have used it to create a dramatic hallway in an otherwise all-white space. It transforms this narrow linking zone into a room in its own right.
2 Classic with a twist You really couldn’t get a more classic chair than Hans Wegner’s Wishbone (read all about it in Classic Design: the Wishbone chair) but look how marvellously refreshed it seems with a custom coat of Chinese red lacquer. It’s the gloss that really does it.
3 Chinese motifs. As this colour is so intrinsically interwoven into Chinese culture, then to use it as wallpaper art makes absolute sense. We love this ‘Portobello’ silk wallpaper in red from Chinoiserie experts, De Gournay.
4 Classic with a twist This is probably a lesser known piece, famous for its original iteration in natural beech. Designed in 1977 by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, it justifies its place in the canon of classic works by its ability to continue to look eternally contemporary, never more so than in this gorgeous lacquer red finish.
For loads more pictures see our comprehensive Chinese Red moodboard of rooms, products and interiors inspiration.
And see more of our wonderful Colour boards here
