Have a Seat: The Surprising Zing of a Red Chair

You’ve heard of the Unexpected Red Theory, the idea that a dash of red livens up a room.

But have you heard of the Unexpected Red Chair Theory?

We’re coining the phrase now. Just have a look at how a red chair can shake things up in the best way:

Above: At Villa Colucci, a red-painted canvas chair in an otherwise blue room. Photography courtesy of Villa Colucci (@villacolucci); see more in Two Danish Design Couples Resurrect a Palazzo in Puglia. Above: A pair of cherry-red chairs at Fred Rigby Studio: A New Creative Space for Free Thinking in London. Photograph by Jake Curtis, courtesy of Fred Rigby Studio; styling by Laura Fulmine. Above: An otherwise quiet corner in Interior Design Jill MacNair’s Own Renovation in London gets an injection of red. Photograph by Beth Evans courtesy of Jill MacNair. Above: A Lightwood Red Webbed Chair by Jasper Morrison for Maruni makes an appearance in a spare kitchen by New Zealand designer Katie Lockhart; see more in A Modern Classic Apartment Interior in Helsinki, Finland. Photograph by Mary Gaudin courtesy of Katie Lockhart Studio. Above: Aha: another red chair spotted, this one with a woven seat, in the embroidery atelier of Sarah Espuete; see more in Studio of the Week: Œuvres Sensibles Shop and Atelier in Marseille. Photograph by Maxime Verret for Oeuvres Sensibles. Above: Stools work, too. Photograph by Marvin Leuvrey, courtesy of Studio Classico and Chapitre Architecture, from Curves and Cutouts: An Inspired Apartment Building Update in Marseille. Above: A suite of bright chairs take an already lively kitchen to another level. See more in Marvila House: A New Modern Extension for an Old Charming Townhome in Lisbon; photography by Francisco Ascensão, courtesy of Atelier José Andrade Rocha.

More design details we’ve been seeing everywhere:

• Future Tense: 11 Design Trends for 2026
• Color Trend Alert: 12 Bathrooms with Fixtures that are Everything but White
• Trend Alert: Poplin Bedding in a Confident Palette