This story was part of Sofa Week, our seven-day stretch of, you guessed it, sofas. After years spent styling, sitting on, and searching for the best of the best—from bespoke designs to rare under-$500 gems—we’re compiling our couch knowledge in one comfy spot.

One of the perks of working at Domino is the fact that we look at homes, beautifully individual and dynamic, all day long. And with said perk, we spot commonalities along the way. There are a handful of trademark trends we have grown to expect every season: pastels for spring, vibrant hues for summer, and cozy textures for fall. Then there are those that skew toward the less expected and timeless. Case in point: the best red couches.

A departure from the standard white, beige, or taupe-y seat, this fresh alternative immediately brings a bold dose of color and character to any space. We’ve spotted the primary hue in every shade—from blush and tomato to rust and even rich maroon. And the look is surprisingly more versatile than you may think and can be seamlessly integrated within a wide variety of aesthetics. Below, a closer look at a few of our favorite spaces featuring this particular hue, and how creatives and designers tapped it as the centerpiece of their living quarters or let it blend in with the rest of their decor. Then we share a few shoppable look-alikes (especially if the original was bespoke), to boot. 

Armless Red Sofas

In Slash Objects founder Arielle Assouline-Lichten’s Brooklyn studio, this Ligne Roset sofa is an attention-grabbing conversation starter thanks to its bright velvet upholstery. Thankfully it’s also small-space–friendly, making it an appealing pick for apartment dwellers (even if Assouline-Lichten’s lofted space is quite large). The armless, futon-esque frame allows for the creative’s other vintage finds to shine. Our picks, below, also deliver a love seat-like vibe.

Alcott Hill Parkes 50-Inch Upholstered Settee, Wayfair ($490 was $753)

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Dylan Velvet Bean Bag 2-Seat Sofa, Urban Outfitters ($379)

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Aris Armless Loveseat in Mabel Rose, Crate & Barrel ($2,248)

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Kumo 3-Seater Sofa, Canyon, Hem ($4,949)

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Softline Duet Daybed, Design Within Reach ($1,271 was $1,495)

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Clyde 67-Inch Sofa, Blu Dot ($2,095)

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Square-Arm Red Sofas

With retro wood paneling as the backdrop, this Reath Design custom sofa covered in a deep red-toned velvet by Kravet makes a straightforward, square-arm design instantly more interesting in Brynn Jones’s home. You can do the same with our favorite sofa brands—Floyd, Lulu and Georgia, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and more all offer a range of reds to dress up their simple frames. 

Hadley Plaid Sofa, GreenRow ($4,700)

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Belmont Sofa by Ginny Macdonald, Lulu and Georgia ($3,298)

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Urban Queen Sleeper Sofa (84-Inch), West Elm ($2,599)

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Two-Piece Form Sectional in Sisu Pink/Orange, Floyd ($2,744 was $3,920)

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Curved Red Sofas

We’ll never tire of a velvet sofa, especially one that comes in just the right shade of saturated crimson or a softer red-tinted blush. Add to the material a curvy frame that looks and feels like a hug and we’ve pretty much summed up Anthropologie’s Vera sofa, the very one that can be found in Lathan Thomas’s joyful Brooklyn home. As one reviewer so aptly summarizes, “It’s beautiful from every angle.” We tried to channel that feeling into our finds, below. 

Vera Sofa, Anthropologie ($2,798)

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Orren Ellis 86.61-Inch Upholstered Curved Sofa, Wayfair ($1,700)

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The Chelsea Sofa, 80-Inch, Spice Mohair, Maiden Home ($6,650)

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Gramercy Curved Sofa, Paprika, abc carpet & home ($6,630)

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Emet Three Seat Sofa, Soho Home ($5,195)

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Pumpkin Sofa by Pierre Paulin for Roset Line, Chairish ($4,846)

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Statement Red Sofas

Leave it to a former Prada architect to get experimental with living room design. We still think about the custom-made raspberry sofa—with the perfect fringe detail—that Roberto Baciocchi designed himself. The original proves that, sometimes, color is just the start of a standout piece. If you’re seeking a look as unique as Baciocchi’s Tuscany guesthouse, double down on the bold factor by pairing the shade with a funky silhouette, channel-tufting details, or a pattern.

Grady Pleated Sofa, Serena & Lily ($6,998)

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Saxon Sofa, Ap2B ($2,748)

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Popus Editions Lena 3 Seater Sofa in Red Verone Velvet Upholstery, 1stDibs ($3,703)

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Maisie Channeled Sofa, Rust Velvet, One Kings Lane ($4,395)

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Svenson Sofa, Lava Cannes Velvet ($4,155)

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Offset 3-Seater Sofa, 08 Boucle, Audo ($3,565)

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The post We Found the Best Red Couches, as Inspired by Our Favorite Spaces appeared first on domino.

If we said “red,” you’d think lipstick, a fire truck, or Target long before your mind ever went to kitchen cabinets. That’s because the cool side of the color spectrum—navy, hunter green, matte black—has dominated our renovations for far too long. Now it’s time that shades like rust, ruby, and berry get their fair share of the limelight. Once just thought of as a favorite for farmhouses, the hue is slowly making its way into cool, contemporary spaces, none of which scream “stop sign.” Here are a few ways to incorporate red kitchen cabinets into your space. 

Go Blue on the Bottom

Designer Sophie Rowell, founder of Cote de Folk, combined two controversial ideas in this charming Airbnb: tiled countertops and cabinets swathed in Farrow & Ball’s Blazer Red. The scheme for the kitchen stemmed from an innocent place (she was inspired by an image of a lighthouse against a blue sky that she saw on the Instagram account @wesandersonplanet). A cooling dose of Pale Wedgwood Paint by Little Greene on the base cupboards delivers the seaside charm. 

Extend It to Tile and Sink Skirts

After testing out 20-something samples, Cat Earp, the creative behind the retreat Aller Dorset, landed on Lake Red (a shade from Farrow & Ball’s archive collection that skews pink to some) for this kitchenette. Once that was settled, she played around with patterned fabrics for the sink skirt and a checkered backsplash.

Use It in Transition Areas

Interior designer Anne Brewer worked with architect Joshua Keay of Eponymous AD to create a true jewel-box moment in this Brooklyn brownstone. While the nearby cooking area is light and bright, the wet bar, which is connected to the space, is covered in a Merlot-tinged paint (ceiling included). Thanks to pocket doors, the homeowners have the option to either embrace the drama or shut it out, depending on their mood. 

Add Some Flair to the Farmhouse Aesthetic

This kitchen designed by Netherlands firm De Zeug pairs traditional Shaker doors with a pigeon hunter profile and a paneled vent hood with molding with an unexpected countertop material: terrazzo. The end result is rustic but with a twist. 

Stick to One Section of the Lowers

If you aren’t sure about committing to full-on red kitchen cabinets, paint only the lower cabinets. An autumnal red like crimson is as close to neutral as you can get. Poland-based architecture firm KW Studio shows us a little goes a long way in this tiny apartment. 

Take an Inside-Out Approach

A bright idea worth stealing from these kitchen-adjacent built-ins designed by Jessica Helgerson? Let the inside of your cupboards be the statement. What gives this bookcase (or dishware display, depending on what you put in it) playful Pop Art vibes is the combination of four shades of red and orange.  

Resist Hardware

Simple circular cutouts that are finger-size are the way to go if you want your red kitchen cabinets to look super-seamless. Take it from British interior stylist Heather Milner, who gave her IKEA frames an extra dose of Scandi with fresh fronts from Naked Doors, now painted in Little Greene’s Adventurer. 

Wood Is Your Friend

While butcher block is technically a classic farmhouse kitchen element, the wood plays nicely with sleek red cabinets because the tones are in the same general color family. The surface gives it an earthy touch, while something cooler like stainless steel would bring the whole room back to the ’90s. 

Dunk Everything in the Brightest Shade

So you want to take the color beyond just the lower cabinets—go all the way with it and cover everything in a happy red like strawberry or candy apple. We’re talking the walls, light switches, toaster, pepper grinder (anything you can think of). This level of commitment gives new meaning to a tiny footprint. 

Channel the ’80s

Before you think about ripping out melamine cabinets from the 1980s, consider bright cherry. Apartment 528 owner India Shannon revived hers with just a paintbrush. Psst: You can skip sanding and priming altogether because the plasticky surface absorbs pigment well. 

Ward Off Shiny Metal

If you are after that quintessential cottage farmhouse look, then don’t let your appliances show. Everything but the oven is concealed in this space, designed by Plain English, which features red kitchen cabinets painted in the brand’s dark Rusty Nail color. 

Find Red’s Friends

No fancy ornamentation means you can have fun with the color combos on the flat panels. This Reform-designed space features green, blue, peach, and brown—and to top it all off, Viola marble countertops. 

Skip the Marble Aisle

For a sexy, smoky vibe, designer Michelle Nussbaumer paired these red kitchen cabinets, swathed in Benjamin Moore’s El Cajon Clay, with coordinating tempest quartzite. The stone will run you $100 per square foot, but the end result is, dare we say, fire. 

The post 13 Red Kitchen Cabinets That Show the Fiery Hue’s Subtler Side appeared first on domino.

Exposed brick and natural light are two highly coveted home features for city dwellers. But what if you have too much of the first thing and not enough of the second? For one family of five in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood, that was exactly the case. Their kitchen, dining nook, and living room are located below street level, meaning sunshine is a rare thing to come by. To make matters even dimmer, the area is covered in exposed brick.

“It’s a lot of brown,” admits designer Maureen Ursino, noting that even up above, the wood ceiling beams and planks from the turn of the century are still intact. Ursino was tasked with turning the 200-square-foot space into a cozy-but-not-cabin-y hangout—without touching the historical features that the clients were adamant about keeping. “So we leaned into pulling colors found in the bricks to further accentuate it,” explains Ursino. Ahead, she shares a few dos and don’ts of decorating around a lot of red. 

Don’t: Try to Make One Thing Pop

Investing in a cream-colored sofa might seem like an easy way to brighten things up, but it’s a lot for the eye to handle. “We purposefully didn’t want anything that felt too contrasting,” shares Ursino. Colors like butter yellow (peep the sectional), beige, apricot, and burgundy are cheery without being jarring. The only doses of white that appear against the brick walls are the sliver of kitchen cabinets in the adjacent space and the bulbs on the Apparatus pendant lamp that hangs over the dining table. “If you’re going to use brighter colors in a space like this, it just has to be done in small, thoughtful amounts,” she adds. 

Do: Lounge Around on Velvet

The place to spice things up? Textures. The rich gold-yellow hue of the Zak & Fox fabric on the sectional might play nice with the red brick, but the smooth velvet provides a completely opposite finish. The same goes for the linen armchair in the corner—unlike rough clay, you want to cuddle up to these materials.

Don’t: Bleach Your Woods

While it might seem counterintuitive to introduce more shades in the brown-red family, Ursino notes that introducing white oak furniture will only pull away from the character of the brick. The wood in her arsenal? Teak (the coffee table), stained oak (the dining table), and walnut (the bookshelves).

Do: Choose Traditional Patterns in Cool Tones

A few blue and green touches—the Libeco throw blanket, the Zara Home pillows, and the dining bench cushion in Abraham Moon fabric—are the sole exceptions to all the warm hues. For the latter, Ursino wanted something that would fit the overall modern-rustic vibe as well as pair nicely with the charcoal-painted ladder-back chairs. A blurred-out navy plaid was a no-brainer. “I was continually leaning into the cozy nest, and that’s something this pattern does very quickly,” she says. Things might be darker down here, but they’re definitely not dull.

The post The Number-One Rule of Decorating a Space With Exposed Brick appeared first on domino.

Halfway through my kitchen renovation, I started research for a book about imaginative kitchen design. I ended up writing the manual I wish I’d read before I’d begun—oh well. So while Uncommon Kitchens shares killer advice for renters and renovators, my own completed space shows I still had a lot to learn. (Note to self: Next time, research the book first.)

Still, my take is that it’s never too late or too expensive to improve your space—people take it far too seriously. The kitchen can be as flexible and creative as any other room—you just have to treat it that way. People think of kitchen design as something you decide once—hence the movement toward “safe” colors and materials (greige tile, I see you)—but the kitchen benefits from little upgrades all the same.

The happiest kitchens, to me, have joy-inducing color; contain freestanding elements like furniture, not just hulking appliances and built-in cabinetry; and leave room for change, be it a rug, art on the walls, or cool vintage vessels cluttering a windowsill. 

This house, a handsome 1905 brick pile with intimidating molding in a village in Montreal, also happened to be my family’s first non-apartment. The kitchen, renovated in the 1950s, was nearly untouched. I would have kept the whole room as is—call them old if you want, but slab-front cabinets are classic—but dated electrical doesn’t fly. Unfortunately, to get to the wires, the cupboards had to come down, which meant starting from scratch on the room. 

The Appliances

A designer friend, Celia Bryson, came on to oversee the remodel, and I shared my inspo images of wonky British kitchens and appliance wants, namely a crimson Fisher & Paykel range I’d become minorly obsessed with. (It looks analog but has induction technology—healthy and safe!) That oxblood red landed on the cabinets (it’s similar to Benjamin Moore’s Hodley Red), and the range ended up jet black, a nice pop. Once I was on board with one Fisher & Paykel appliance, I stuck with the brand for all. Its signature dish drawers are rad—two petite dishwasher units in the footprint of one. Plus most of my designer friends gave the thumbs-up. 

The Countertops

Celia sourced the honed soapstone, which makes a really pretty backdrop for bowls of fruits and veg. Dramatique! It’s also hard-wearing and doesn’t stain. There can be small fissures, which are common, but that’s no big deal to me. The most beautiful rooms I’ve written about and experienced show signs of use—it’s universal. Designing for lasting perfection is nonsensical, and frankly, it feels insecure. Wear and tear isn’t just expected in a hardworking room like the kitchen, it’s encouraged. Think ripped jeans, people!

The Cabinets

Commune Design and Heidi Caillier are two firms that employed a sweet arched detail on a cabinet profile, and I pushed for that—it’s just enough look but not something you’d tire of. (Then again, we’re the type of family that okays burgundy cupboards, so clearly fear is not a driver of decisions over here.) Celia whipped up a proper cabinetry scheme that made use of the too-big room, including drawers for dishes, which I desired in the way that some people desire handbags. 

The whole thing was so gorgeous that it nearly haunted me. I tacked a piece of art up high to break up the uniformity of color. All the cookbooks found a home lined up on the counter, again, interspersing color and shapes where there were large blank expanses. But the combination of fresh cabinetry and a drywall background felt gross to me. Months later I commissioned the rose-colored plaster walls—more on those later.

The Worktable

An ingenious piece by Celia, the worktable has deep drawers for kitchen towels and school lunch bags and an inset spot for paper towels. Its legs add considerable airiness to the space; it doesn’t feel as hulking as an island. That piece and the pantry have different paint schemes to keep the room from feeling too matchy-matchy. The table and lower pantry cabinets are in a color similar to Farrow & Ball’s Downpipe, which looks deep on the chip but is one of those magical shades that changes brilliantly with the light. I even traded oxblood knobs for blue ones here and there to again mix it up. 

The Plaster Walls

There was a point in this kitchen in which one side was getting gorgeous and the other, the breakfast room, was absolutely bereft of charm. I’d thought the generous windows and deep molding would carry it somehow, but I was way off. To be honest, the money was running out, too—I had relied on Celia to manage the high-performing half of the space and things like lighting, while I tackled the breakfast room. 

In came art, more art, and vintage furniture…but still it felt barren. I landed on the aforementioned wall treatment to give the space more body. Lime plaster—a thin coat of lime-based paint applied in swishy patterns—added an old-world, dilapidated grandeur to the new-school drywall. (This idea was nicked from Matilda Goad’s famous kitchen.) Drywall is the enemy, folks—the less of it, the better. A sweet pendant lamp made sitting at the table more intimate, and a pop of zesty citrus on the window insets brought even more life. (Hat tip to Toronto design royal Karl Lohnes for the color—I had previously considered off-black or Yves Klein Blue.) 

The Footprint

We made one small footprint change: reorienting the pantry entrance to allow for walk-in food storage, as well as fridge and freezer drawers behind the cabinetry fronts. There’s a bar sink there near the tea and coffee station, too, but it’s rarely used. Still, the pantry has two things I love: shelves and shelves of various decorative bric-a-brac, which bring me joy to see and use, and a fridge drawer, which gets a lot of action. You can change the temperature to temperate, to accommodate fruits and veggies, or make it chillier for overflow wine and beer when there’s a party to host. 

The pantry walls are painted a cheery shade, the iconic Farrow & Ball India Yellow, which is such a sure thing that I barely even tested it. (Truth: By this stage in the renovation, I had debilitating decision fatigue.) My sister in Maine salvaged jigsawed trim on the low shelves. It was commonly placed above sinks and windows in the 1950s and people tear it out all the time, but it’s supersweet!

There’s no “thank heavens we gutted it!” to this story. I still look at the “before” pictures and feel a little wistful. It was a sweet and homey kitchen with some questionable wiring; I can only wonder if an additional circuit breaker and some burgundy paint would have done the trick. 

The post My Montreal Kitchen Remodel Was Too Perfect—Here’s How I Messed With It appeared first on domino.

Kaitlyn Coffee had just one requirement when she and her husband started looking for a new home in Dallas: It had to be untouched. The graphic designer didn’t want anything resembling a trendy open floor plan or updated bathroom. “If we were going to move, the house needed to be able to be fully ours,” she explains. 

Finding a 1960s-era time capsule was a difficult task. Despite the city’s rich architectural history, all that seemed to be available were new builds with no personality. “I started to resign myself to the fact that the school districts would be the deciding factor,” Coffee recalls. “I knew I could make anywhere cool.” In February 2021, though, she discovered a middle ground—a mid-century place near a good school and with original French doors. 

While some designers focus first on the material mix or floor layouts, Coffee sees everything in Technicolor. “I’m obsessed with complementary pairings,” she says, laughing. Red and green are across from each other on the color wheel because of the way they neutralize (and energize) each other, and Coffee ran with the science; the duo became the foundation of the home’s palette. It’s easy for the shades to scream “Christmas,” but Coffee insists that varying textures is key to an understated combo. 

Burgundy high-pile carpets (her husband’s suggestion) ground the kids’ green-and-white–striped beds, and terracotta floor tiles contrast with smooth hunter green millwork in the main living area. The family will not be getting “Jingle Bells” stuck in their head in the middle of August. “The goal was to make it look like some quirky lady redid her home in the late ’60s and no one has changed anything since,” says Coffee. 

Coffee’s passion for original details doesn’t extend to dated kitchen appliances, though. Local designer Sara Garza lent her skills to the space’s renovation in exchange for a branding refresh. The women leaned into the mod energy of the house, keeping Italian mid-century elements at the center of their mood boards. The cabinets are dark wood with sleek, inset grooves instead of hardware, with open shelves built into the bottoms. Red-striped barstools, one of Coffee’s many vintage treasures, are sturdy enough for her toddlers to climb onto for breakfast at the white terrazzo countertop.  

In the primary bath, the team went bolder still. Powder blue subway tile covers three of the four walls, and a burnt orange vanity (painted in Navajo Red by Benjamin Moore, to be precise) only makes the color pop more. Even the marble counter has a not-so-subtle navy and orange veining, two more opposite hues hard at work. 

Coffee’s always-growing art collection (all estate-sale and Goodwill finds) ensures no room feels too technical. “I just hate when I walk into someone’s home and they have the same four prints I see every day on Instagram,” Coffee explains. She’s not precious about what she does hang up; the selections the family is currently living with, like the African masks that hang above Coffee’s desk, are a trial run of sorts. “If it doesn’t work, I can resell it,” she says. She changes the walls whenever the mood strikes—the portrait of Jesus in her office previously hung above the bathtub, and the living room’s gallery wall gets a new addition almost every week.

Sometimes big purchases aren’t agonized over either. Take the yellow dresser in her sons’ room. “I bought it from the Salvation Army; it had to live in my house,” Coffee says of the cheerful design. The just-right fit between the twin beds was simply a lucky coincidence. 

The Goods

Vase Shape III ($275)

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Navajo Red, Benjamin Moore ($50)

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Sateen Embroidered Cane Weave Bed Sheets ($150)

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Calabash Rattan Table Lamp, OKA ($375)

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The post Red and Green Pair Up All Over This Dallas Home, But It Never Feels Like Christmas appeared first on domino.

“You should have seen the carpet guy’s face,” jokes Design Love Fest founder Bri Emery about when she explained her plan to cover the floor, sofa, coffee table, and credenza in her home office in a rust-colored, high-pile shag. “He was like, ‘What are you talking about?’”

But transforming the cozy space—a former catchall storage room in their Los Angeles home—into a ’70s-inspired conversation pit was all part of Emery and her husband’s master plan. When the pandemic hit, the couple realized they needed a denlike area for working, but also a lo-fi space where they could gather with a small group of friends and listen to records, be creative, and watch movies—or as Emery puts it, “Make things not on our phones.”

So with the help of Heather Spaulding of Spaulding Company, the pair installed vinyl walnut paneling from Surfacing Solution and hired local builder Santiago Mayer to construct a sofa, credenza, and coffee table that could be swathed in Shaw’s Ravishing carpet. (The color name? Chili, obviously.) The cushions got a layer of similarly toned velvet. A set of newly installed French doors, hidden by a sheer curtain, would lead to the patio.

But as any good design-minded person knows, a reference can get super-literal super-fast. To keep the whole look in the 2020s, Emery and Spaulding added modern touches, like a custom checkerboard rug from Etsy, an Entler lamp, and a Jenni Kayne sheepskin throw to keep things feeling fresh.

Not only is it a chill place to work or put on a record (the couple loves to spin disco and soul), it’s a guest room. When it’s time for bed, the modular coffee table goes up against the sofa, and the velvet sofa cushions can lie flat over the coffee table to make a cozy spot for a friend who wants to stay the night.

“The first time I stepped into the almost completed space, I felt like someone had just wrapped me in a warm blanket and I had had the best nap of my life,” says Spaulding. The vibes are so good, in fact, that the tiny nook inspired Emery and her husband to use it as a jumping-off point for their new home in New York, which Spaulding is also designing. “It’s kind of crazy because we started working on it during quarantine,” says Emery. “And then we had all these dreams about it being this ’60s- or ’70s-like den room—but now it’s manifested into our future house.”

Shaggy Viscose Pillow, Burke Decor, Burke Decor ($149)

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Double Sheepskin, Jenni Kayne, Jenni Kayne ($260)

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Candlestick 37, Madeleine Pellegren ($70)

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12″ Table Lamp, Entler, Entler ($925)

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The post Shag Carpet Covers Almost Everything in This Home Office—And Looks Surprisingly 2022 appeared first on domino.

When Victoria Sass, the founder and design director of Prospect Refuge Studio, sat down with her clients, Andrea and Matthew, to talk about renovating their Minneapolis kitchen, Sass didn’t just share them on a Pinterest board. Instead she pulled out her iPad and played a clip of the Spring 2020 Gucci runway show, a contemporary collection referencing how 1970s fashion trends were reinvented in the 1990s. The glossy, mint-colored catwalk and bold touches throughout (a red patent shoe here, a royal blue silk scarf there) stood out to the couple. “Matt and I just looked at each other and laughed at how perfect it was,” says Andrea. 

Sass began dissecting several of the outfits and translating them to the space’s new design. “We loved the almost-hospital-room green tones paired with rusty and true shades of red,” says Sass. The retro hues complemented the couple’s vintage tchotchkes nicely, as well as the home’s quirky architecture (the see-through fireplace that separates the cooking zone from the living area is original). “Everybody’s trying to create timeless spaces, and I’m not really a big fan of that. You can’t just remove time from the conversation,” explains Sass. Instead the designer focuses on “timefulness”—the idea of layering nods to different parts of the past. “I think this space works because it’s just being itself,” she notes. Ditching the status quo, here’s how they brought their fashion-forward home to life. 

Commit to Complementary Colors

The kitchen’s Gucci-inspired palette works because red and green are complementary colors. The upper cabinets are swathed in Sherwin-Williams’s Flower Pot, and the lower cabinets are Benjamin Moore’s Dunmore Green. The designer kept the shiny texture of the glossy cabinet fronts going by opting for a glass backsplash (the back is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Cucumber Salad, and the slab above the range is tempered so it can withstand the heat). “It’s funny to me that going with gray over white is sometimes considered a bold choice,” shares Andrea. “We didn’t want typical or safe; we aren’t concerned with the ever-mythologized resale value.” 

Look to Furniture for Inspo

The island was heavily inspired by Alvar Aalto’s bentwood Artek tables, which feature brightly colored linoleum tops and birchwood edges. “We took those components to make it look more like a piece of furniture,” says Sass. To balance out all of the bold elements in the kitchen, the couple invested in simple stainless steel appliances and white window trim. “Thoughtful restraint is also important; every eye needs a place to rest and settle in,” notes Andrea.

Find Good Design at the Hardware Store

The cabinet pulls were a win-win: The handles were sourced from Hickory Hardware and cost only $2 each, and they’re made out of solid, sturdy wood. “They feel really good in your hand,” says the designer. The wood touch adds a homespun quality to the space and counteracts the sleek cupboard surface. “We love the school classroom–esque vibe that they bring,” adds Andrea. 

Don’t Stop at the Powder Room 

Adding a 25-square-foot powder room to the home made the kitchen smaller, but it offered a much-needed barrier to the front door (before, it was just one big, open layout). The spot draws on the tonal shades of the Gucci collection with its tan, brown, and Hermès-orange striped walls. Not pictured: a $20 pastel blue toilet paper holder that’s “just like the ones in every grandparent’s bathroom I saw growing up,” says Andrea. 

Ditch the Rule Book for Good

Where there was once a door leading to the garage, there is now a built-in bar nook with dinosaur wallpaper from House of Hackney—taking the space further off the beaten path. “When we were first brainstorming for the project, Andrea pulled me aside and said, ‘I want to tell you, I’m not afraid of it being a little bit…ugly.’ I knew exactly what she meant,” recalls Sass. While the designer feels like they ended up far from ugly, it was refreshing to be free of the traditional constraints of what defines a beautiful kitchen. Rather than being concerned with how others perceive their design choices, they focused on showing their personalities. “I joke that maximalism is my religion,” says Andrea. Then this is their house of worship.

The post This Minneapolis Kitchen Makeover Is So Gucci appeared first on domino.

Playrooms are arguably ephemeral when it comes to a child’s ever-changing needs and interests, but that doesn’t mean they have to appear like a temporary setup. Maria Gilzean, an Essex, England–based I.T. project manager, had already invested in handmade wardrobes for her 3-year-old daughter Helena’s bedroom, so when it came to designing the playroom, she wanted something equally stylish—but a little easier on the purse strings. 

Eyeing what she called the “decent nook” at one end of the space as a prime spot for building out storage, Gilzean then headed to IKEA “to see if we could try and make something look bespoke.” The resulting chic cupboard belies the structure’s flat-pack origins, thanks to some pretty Liberty fabric and a lick of cherry red paint. Here’s how she created the one-of-a-kind piece.

The Supplies

• 2 IKEA Billy/Oxberg bookcases 
• About 4 yards of fabric 
• Small can of wood primer
• Small can of water-based acrylic paint
• 3 packs clear drawing pins 
• Paintbrushes
• Fabric scissors
• Tape measure

The Swedish furniture giant’s classic (and inexpensive) Billy bookcase appealed to Gilzean for its open, modular shelving. She picked up two units that come with the glass-paneled Oxberg doors.

Next, Gilzean painted the doors with a wood primer and water-based acrylic paint by Dulux that was left over from Helena’s bedroom wardrobes. “We ended up needing four coats,” she admits, but the result was worth it, and she found a useful shortcut: “We painted the doors before attaching them to the unit and skipped the inside, so it wasn’t that much of an effort.”

Inspired by people who make their own fabric door liners on Pinterest, Gilzean decided that would be the perfect solution to hide away all the toys, books, and costumes. Liberty’s Capel print—a sweet 1930s-style floral—in a marigold hue complemented the room’s existing mustard blinds. Gilzean purchased a little over 4 yards and divided it up for each panel (around double the width of each pane of glass), and then set about creating the free-form pleated sections (aka through trial and error).

“I’m crafty, but I can’t sew,” explains Gilzean. “I wanted it to be quite neat looking but not perfect.” That meant there was no ironing or stapling required—just handmade creases held in place by clear drawing pins she picked up on Amazon. “After a while my fingers started to ache, so I resorted to a hammer to bang the pins in,” she recalls with a laugh.

Then Gilzean called on the pros. She hired a carpenter, who over the course of a day boxed in the unit (including the creation of a false wall above) and added MDF shelves to the side. This is what really elevates the project: “IKEA furniture doesn’t come with any moldings or decorative elements. It could have looked like a stand-alone box; now it looks fitted,” says Gilzean of the tailor-made storage system.

The cupboard cleverly disguises mismatched baskets filled with Helena’s toys and keeps books neatly lined up. And if the family gets tired of the printed fabric on the doors, it can easily be switched out for a new pattern—especially once Mom masters her desire to learn how to sew!

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The most popular interior paint colors often fall within a predictable color wheel of neutrals. Conventional wisdom and ongoing trends support these rather safe choices since they make it easy to add in colors through other aspects. But if you’re willing to live dangerously, Brian Smith, a founding partner at Studio Tack, thinks that this bold shade should be on your radar: red.

“Of all the colors, red is the most profound,” he says. “It’s a color of contradictions, arousing our deepest most passionate emotions: from love and lust to anger and aggression. That’s why it’s such a wonderful color to use in design because it appeals to a broad range of feelings. It can make spaces feel classic and timeless or moody and glamorous.”

As a design and development group based in New York City, Studio Tack has created award-winning hotels throughout the world, inciting wanderlust in those who want to kick back in a stylish getaway. Smith and his team used Benjamin Moore’s Cottage Red inside the library at Sound View in Greenport, New York, for “a sense of sophistication,” he says, and opted for RAL’s Red Brown for the bar at Casa Bonay in Barcelona to evoke “an immersive space.”

In Smith’s view, red isn’t a color to shy away from. If you plan on using it, he says, then go all in. “Don’t relegate red to an accent wall. It works best when it’s allowed to saturate a room,” Smith continues. “This might sound counterintuitive, but a bold color like red actually becomes less jarring the more you use it.”

Now that Smith has spoken so highly of this color, you might feel inspired to try it in your own home. To make sure that confidence lasts, we asked him for tips on what to know about red paint before going shopping, how to style it for every room in your home, and the best red paint colors to try when you’re ready to take the plunge.

What to Know About Finishes

“A general rule of thumb we follow at Studio Tack is to use a matte finish for reds on walls and ceilings and a high-gloss finish for reds on millwork, furniture, and floors,” Smith says. “If you’re painting a room red, then use a low sheen and a matte finish to bring out the depth of color.”

Smith notes that matte finishes absorb more pigment, making a red shade appear denser when it’s applied throughout a room. His team usually chooses Farrow & Ball’s Estate Emulsion finish for this effect because it has a low sheen that complements many different lighting options.

A high-gloss finish, on the other hand, adds drama to smaller applications. When Smith and his team are looking to make millwork stand out, they often turn to Fine Paints of Europe and Hollandlac Brilliant 98. “It’s highly resilient and, as the name suggests, it’s quite brilliant,” he says.

Overall, the most important thing to remember about choosing a red paint color, and paints in general, is that higher-quality choices are worth the extra money. “While more expensive, these paints look and feel more luxurious because they are made with quality pigments and additives that help the paint adhere better to different surfaces,” Smith adds. “Premium paints like Farrow & Ball are thicker, spread easier, and usually require fewer coats.”

How to Use Red Throughout Your Home

In the Kitchen: “For cabinets, use a high-gloss finish,” Smith says. “Not only is it bold and beautiful, but it’s more resilient and easier to clean.”

In the Living Room: “Living rooms are a great place to use high gloss and matte paint finishes together,” Smith notes. “Pick the same color for the walls and the trim, but use a matte finish on the walls and a high-gloss finish on the moldings. An enamel finish will naturally produce a deeper tone of color, creating a monochromatic difference between the two surfaces. But if you’re not ready to coat your living room in red, try using it as a wainscot that’s either painted directly on the wall or on the wood paneling.”

In the Bedroom: “Don’t forget the ceiling,” Smith adds. “You’ll be looking up a lot.” 

In the Bathroom: “Bathrooms are a great place to use red on accessory pieces or built-ins,” Smith says. “Try using red on a small wooden hutch or on the shelves. If you use it on the walls, don’t forget the base of the tub, which is an often overlooked surface that can help tie the space together.”

The Best Red Paint Colors

If you’re feeling moody…

Brinjal Paint, Farrow & Ball

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“This shade is more aubergine than true red,” Smith says. “It’s like red’s more contemplative sister.”

If you believe in classics…

Cottage Red Paint, Benjamin Moore

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“This is a deep, crimson-like red with rust undertones that’s part of Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection, which is a series of colors inspired by America’s historic landmarks,” Smith continues. “It’s a time-tested classic.”

If you’re a maximalist at heart…

Preference Red Paint, Farrow & Ball

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“This is a new color for Farrow & Ball, and it’s inspired by paints from the Baroque era,” Smith says. “It’s an ebullient red that reminds me of scarlet peonies.”

If you love a good red lip…

Tulip Red Paint, Fine Paints of Europe

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“A classic lipstick red that’s great for accent pieces,” Smith says. “Try it on your front door to give your home some striking curb appeal.”

Discover more red interiors we love: Red, White, and Blue Take a Sophisticated Turn in This Chicago Home 9 Red Sofas That Flip the Script on Tradition Here’s Why You Should Accessorize With Red

The post New York’s Coolest Hotel Designer Is Begging You to Go Bold With Paint appeared first on domino.

Fun yet functional, this statement chair is like no other. Zig Zag Chair $2,230

Graphic, feminine, and just right for your gallery wall.  Red Lines of a Woman from $21

An easy lip color for work and play. Zip $18

A catchall basket that can tie together a whole room. Medium Dipped Belly Basket $35

Wear with a white wide leg pant for the perfect spring look. Bow Crop Top in Brick $79

Our kind of choker. Paige Collar $114.99

This towel will have you asking: Is it summer yet? Extra Large Beach and Travel Towel $24.99

Step up your lighting game. Step Lamp in Brick $198

Put that vintage record collection to good use. Cruiser Turntable 99.95

An earring with all the fringe benefits. Poppy Crater Earring $185

Take your couch to the next level. Velvet Pillow $91.99

Never lose your iPhone charger again.  Night Red Cable Lightning Zebra $39.99

A tote with a twist.  Bandana Tote: Red $120

The perfect package to match the deliciousness inside. Wild Bar $9

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