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These Are the 12 Best Red Paint Colors for Bold, Comfortable Rooms

Red Shades From Rustic to Modern

Updated on 03/08/21

Natural light filling red painted room with two windows — The Spruce / Francesca Maiolino

Painting a room red is a power move that can add instant style and atmosphere anywhere in the home. It's a stimulating, high-spirited hue that isn't for the faint of heart. A passionate red shade might even make you fall in love or stoke the flames in the bedroom.

If painting a whole room red feels like it's a bit much, a splash of red can significantly impact a front door, the inside of a closet, or as an accent wall in a neutral room that needs a little oomph.

Color Family: Warm, reds
Complementary Colors: Shades of greens
Pairs Well With: Other warm colors, earth tones, and neutrals
Mood: Comforting, inviting, rich
Where to Use: Living room, dining room, library, office, den, bedroom, accent wall, or front door

Here are the picks for the best red paint colors for your home.

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Best Dark Red: Eating Room Red by Farrow & Ball

The Spruce

Named after the red damask wallpaper that often adorned the walls of elegant mid-19th-century dining rooms, Eating Room Red from Farrow & Ball is an intensely pigmented burgundy. Like a fine wine, it can read a bit on the purplish side. It has a rich, old-world feel that works incredibly well in period homes with moldings and woodwork painted in fresh cream or white to create contrast.
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Best Red-Orange: Persimmon Orange by The Spruce Best Home

The Spruce

Persimmon Orange from The Spruce Best Home by KILZ is a deep rustic red-orange that straddles the line between those two colors on the color wheel and creates a fresh, modern look that works like a charm in a bedroom or kitchen. The feel-good, red-orange hybrid will change with the light, looking more orange at high noon and skewing toward red by candlelight.
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Best Crimson: Incarnadine by Farrow & Ball

The Spruce

As classic as a red manicure, Incarnadine from Farrow & Ball is a glamorous crimson that you can use in a formal living room. But it works just as well as part of a classic red, white and blue color scheme in a kid's room. Or you can use it to create a contemporary feel, paired with modern art and chrome or glass furniture and decorative objects.
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Best Clay Red: Morocco Red by Behr

The Spruce

Morocco Red from Behr is a soft, livable clay-colored shade that evokes the warm earthy colors found in its namesake country's stunning landscapes and architecture. In addition to working well in a living room or library, it's also a popular choice for those who love the welcoming embrace of a red front door.

If you're having difficulty selecting a color for your room, pull inspiration from a textile, framed art, or room accessory. Take a fabric swatch to the paint store and choose paint strips or order online and get large stick-on paint swatches to try at home.

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Best Deep Red: Big Apple by Clare

The Spruce

Big Apple by Clare is a deep delicious apple red love letter to New York City that adds personality and style to a bedroom or entryway. You can use it to paint an accent wall anywhere you want to lift the room's mood.
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Best Subdued Red: Sundried Tomato by Benjamin Moore

The Spruce

Sundried Tomato by Benjamin Moore is a dark red that looks like it was baked to perfection in the sun. It pairs well with pewter and beige for a subdued look or gold touches for a more dramatic effect.
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Best Pink-Infused Red: Berrylicious by Valspar

The Spruce

Berrylicious by Valspar is a luminous raspberry dream of a red that would work well on an accent wall, in a small powder room or a kids' room. It's a fun base for a room with shades of red and pink for an enveloping cocoon.
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Best Rust Red: Brick Facade by Valspar

The Spruce

Brick Facade by Valspar is a rusty brick red that would work well in a Tuscan-inspired room to set off warm woods, cognac-colored leather, wrought iron, and earthenware accents. Keep the ceiling a bright shade of white to keep the color from overwhelming the space.

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Best True Red: Atomic Red by Little Greene

The Spruce

Atomic Red by Little Greene is a powerhouse of a primary red that adds a bit of attitude to a room and pairs well with light to medium blue-toned grays.

Do not paint over problem walls; fix them first. Get to spackling and sanding for small dents and divets while fiberglass tape repair kits can fix larger holes.
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Best Berry Red: Pantone 4975 C

The Spruce

A dark chocolatey red, Pantone 4975 is a sophisticated color that creates a moody vibe in a media room or library. It works well with creamy colors and dark wood accents.
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Best Dusty Red: Cherokee Red by PPG

The Spruce

PPG's Cherokee Red is a dark, spicy color that is easy on the eyes and would work well in a bedroom or dining room with dark woods. It has a Sedona red-rock undertone and is a perfect paint color for an entranceway.
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Best Light Red: Le Corbusier Crush by Dunn-Edwards

The Spruce

Le Corbusier Crush by Dunn-Edwards is a cheerful red shade named after the mid-century master architect, who developed his own signature theory of how colors work together.

Best Dusty Red: Cherokee Red by PPG