What my child's favourite colour taught me about interiors – the unexpected red theory and why it brings balance, energy and a whole lot of zing

Home decorator Ammarah Hasham is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts infusing her rental house with plenty of personality. See the rest of her articles here.

Red, I must admit, shows up in our home because of our emotional connection to it. It has always been, and still is, my eldest’s favourite colour. Why? Let me tell you.

When the movie Cars first came out in 2006, it was an instant hit in our household. My son completely fell in love with that bright red car, Lightning McQueen, and before long it started appearing everywhere around the house. Toy cars, books, T-shirts, pencil cases, you name it. If it had a Lightning McQueen on it, that was all it took to win him over.

And guess what we did as young parents? Well, since he loved it SO much, we even arranged a Cars themed birthday party for him. I still remember sitting on the floor making a handmade pinata out of cardboard, complete with paper plates for the wheels. Cricut, who? Yours truly carved the whole thing with an X-Acto knife and stuck it all together with hot glue. Honestly, the things we do for our kids.

How close it actually looked to the original character… well, that is another story entirely. The party itself was a huge hit, and one that my son still remembers quite fondly.

The truth is, and it is something I find myself saying quite often, my home is a fusion of the personalities that live within it. Little fragments of each person. Their interests, their colours, their favourite objects. As a renter, this has always felt especially important to me. It allowed me to give my children a sense of permanence, even when the home itself was temporary. One way I do that is by honouring the things they love and incorporating them into the space around us.

Do children notice it? Trust me, they do. More than we realise.

So, when I came across the ‘Unexpected Red Theory’ circulating online, shared by Taylor Simon, I had one of those small moments of recognition. It made sense. Because those thoughtful touches of red I had been adding around the house, originally as a nod to my son’s love for the colour, had been doing exactly what designers say they do. They lift the room.

What exactly IS this theory I am talking about?

‘The Unexpected Red Theory is basically adding anything that’s red, big or small, to a room where it doesn’t match at all and it automatically looks better.’

In reality, this concept is a tried and tested piece of traditional design knowledge favoured by designers for years. Red has always had a way of doing the unexpected. Think of a swipe of lipstick or a chunky red choker. Suddenly, a very plain outfit has a focal point. One pop of red and the whole look wakes right up.

The same idea works in interiors. In a room, when an unexpected flash of red is introduced, it brings balance, energy and a whole lot of zing, almost effortlessly.

And there is actually a good reason for that. Humans react to red more strongly than almost any other colour, which is why designers often reach for it when they want small details to stand out. With its strong link to excitement, in interiors, red creates a spark of life. Even a single red object can act as what designers call a visual anchor, grounding the composition of the room and pulling the eye towards it.

So how can you use red in your space?

Well, look around you. Chances are, you might already be using it without even realising. And if you have been skeptical (or perhaps even a little afraid) of bringing red into your home, worry not.

You don’t need to repaint the walls or make any large purchases. A few small pops of red are usually enough to work their magic.

Here are a few easy ways to sneak it in:

Use a piece of art

A print or painting with a touch of red can instantly lift a room. It is one of the easiest ways to introduce colour without committing to anything dramatic.

Invest in a furniture piece (or paint one)

A chair, stool, or even an old side table painted red can become the hero piece of a room. All it really takes is a small tester pot and a couple of hours. Fair warning though, you will probably start with the stool and end up painting a few more things in the process.

Add a throw or bedding

Throws, in my opinion, are quite clever styling tools. They let you introduce colour with just the right amount of restraint because you control exactly how much you want in the space. Feeling bold? Go for a solid colour. Want something softer? Choose a printed one. Either way, the job gets done.

Use accessories

Lamps, trays or vases or even a bold candle holder can do the trick. Think of them as low investment, high impact pieces that you can easily rely on.

Bring in a stack of books

A few hardcover books on a coffee table or a shelf work surprisingly well, especially if you want to keep things low key.

Borrow from nature

A softer approach but one that works beautifully. Red flowers, plants, berries, or even paper flowers can help you bring in that unexpected pop of colour without feeling too bold. And if you are using artificial flowers, please choose ones that do not look like they were rescued from some anonymous dusty lobby.

To wrap it up, I suppose the Unexpected Red Theory was never really a guideline in our home. Children have a way of falling in love with colours almost fearlessly. That, perhaps, is the real charm of childhood.

Looking back now, those little flashes of red scattered around the house were never just styling choices. They were small reminders of imagination, of personality and the subtle connections that make a space feel like home.

And maybe that is why red works so well. It carries warmth, courage and a little bit of magic.

There is a reason red is the colour of superheroes, after all.