Central Florida is the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World — and the close of the annual Florida Strawberry Festival, which took place earlier this month in Plant City, Fl, has us thinking of the most beautiful and scrumptious of fruits.  Besides it’s sweet, sugary taste, the strawberry adds color and energy to any plate.

It’s that attractive red color, and how it’s a dashing and bold design choice, that we’ll be dishing about today.

Red is an emotionally intense color.  Red stimulates the metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure (in a good way!).  Red indicates courage, strength, power, passion, love and danger.  The color red is often used (in some variation) in dining rooms because of its appetite stimulating effect.

And guess what?  Pantone’s 2015 color of the year is Marsala – an earthy, sophisticated shade of red.

Many designers insist that each room should have at least a touch of red.

Below are some beautiful examples of a range of reds in various settings that we think are bold, bright, and daring.

What’s black and white and ‘red’ all over?

Check out the stairs below, from Architectural Digest — I love how the color is worked into the room in an original and inspiring way.  Red is not just for walls!

Another bold red door, below, and the black, white and red color scheme is so sharp.

Image via HouseBeautiful.

Bold & Beautiful

Often, a bathroom or powder room is the place to go bold.  Wake up to red and forego the morning joe…

Images via HouseBeautiful.

The Softer Side of Red

In the first photo below, by House Beautiful, you can see how red can be happy and cheerful, and also work with a softer color pallette.

Image via HouseBeautiful.

It works with powder blue too – very pretty!

Image via The Tao of Dana.

Here is a great example, from the photographer Marc Wouters, of how red pops with black and can create a dramatic, moody setting!

Image via Marc Wouters.

Art work provides a single touch of red, in Aerin Lauder’s office, below, yet against the black creates a dramatic mood.

Red is vibrant, whether you go bold or soft, and sometimes all you need is a touch of red…

This dramatic, red range and hood provide all the color against a neutral backdrop.

Image via HouseBeautiful.

And, from  Bunny Williams,this room appeared in House Beautiful in 2009 — just one red egg chair and spot the red binding on the book underneath the side table.

In the pictures below, you can see how a touch of red adds that extra drama and ‘oomph’ to almost any room.

Images via HouseBeautiful.

Images via Architectural Digest.

Images via Architectural Digest.

The last few pictures show how reds mix with almost every color.  So, can you incorporate red in your home? Add a pot of geraniums, or a bright throw pillow, a red vase, or a bold lamp…and remember there are many shades of red.