On the thread about designing around enormous TV's, several folks have mentioned using red and green in their homes. I have this combination too and it makes me curious.
I grew up being told that this was a heinous, never-to-be-used combination. It was barely tolerable even at Xmas. But, depending on the shades used, I love them together. These two colors make me feel alive and connected to nature. It also seems that many other designaddicts like them as well.
I have a slightly greyed citron green (like the new designaddict t-shirt ad in the right column)with a deep brick red in one space and an orange-y red and a pale spring leaf green in another space.
Who else out there is using a red/green combo? Why do you love it? What shades to you have? Does anyone have knowledge of any well-known designers/architects who favored these colors?
I actually resisted this...
I actually resisted this combination for a while. I have always been drawn to Chinese red. At the same token I love a deep earthy green. I was always worried about mixing them.
I bought a deep green shag rug to mimmick grass on my floor which is a patchy terra cotta / brown stained concrete (to me it mimmicks dirt). I thought it would give a natural look to the indoors. Later on I found a Steelcase sofa in the same green. Since I already had the red wall and green rug I decided to put them all together to make a much bigger and confident red/green statement.
Although I have seen a Panton interior with this mixture Irving Harper was an inspiration to me. After viewing his home (which has a variety of unexpected color combinations) and an interior project of his and Nelson's (a waiting room) I figured it was woth a shot. See the link below to see the room.
The combo I have is very similar although the green is deeper.
http://www.metropolismag.com/html/content_0601/har/t.html
I am wearing
an old cotton shirt in a woven (not printed) plaid -- two slightly different forest greens, and a bright red -- which I love; when I wear under it a loden green t-shirt, the red plaid seems transparent. . .
I have long spoken up for the reds and greens of nature, and of ancient Chinese architecture and decoration, among many other examples. I believe the eye delights in the spice of warm-cool (hot-cold ?) color contrasts; these are just not available in more "harmonious" or polite color arrangements.
From the pale pinks and greens of spring, to the scarlet and olive of certain autumn (or kitchen ?) scenes, these colors need and want each other's contrasts. "Taste" ? By all means ! Leonard Sillman pinched his tongue with his fingers as he used the word "taste" in connection with color; he wanted his students to use the T-word *usefully* as an attribute of color !
SDR
Aubergine
("eggplant") could be described as a wine-purple. . .?
I've seen this mixed with red quite effectively; then a little bit of almost any green would be a good accent.
The "sizzle" that can be generated by the red/blue opposition (how long I have played with these colors to create an "optical purple," with yarns and on paper !) is different from the many red/green pairings; these are more gentle in nature while still delighting the eye, I think. . .
Just saw a recent photo of the mountain-like Potala palace/monastery in Tibet; its paired entry gate-houses appear as warm brick-red stucco, with medium olive-y green tiled roofs. Nice.
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