Things I Like: Red Hot For Red

Strawberries and tomatoes, poppies and roses, and confidence and love

At some point in time, I decided I didn’t like the color red. It reminded me of blood, anger, fire ants, stop signs, tacky Santa, and clowns. I wondered why anyone would ever paint their walls red or wear it on a normal day that wasn’t Christmas or Valentine’s Day. I never sought it out and instead, my life was filled with blues and beiges and purples and greens. Pink was even too close. I already know I’m weird about colors so you don’t have to tell me. It just never occurred to me that I might change my mind. But something shifted in the last few months. My association with red has reversed, and I’ve slowly let the color slowly trickle into my life, first on Pinterest boards, then in real life. A white blouse with red pinstripes entered my closet, followed by a pair of red clogs and a cherry red tiered skirt. They make me think of strawberries and tomatoes, poppies and roses, and confidence and love. I still won’t paint my walls red though.

Red and Deep Salmon Flowers by Liz Roache

Reminiscent of Marimekko’s classic print, this piece by artist Liz Roache is bold and emotional, feminine yet powerful. “Liz created this piece to show the power of two colors. The design is more about the interaction of two colors and how they react together.”

Alex Mill Britt Work Jacket

I’m so sad this color isn’t available to buy anymore. Only the white and blue jackets remain. But considering I can’t stop thinking about it, I might try making my own chore jacket out of some chili red denim.

Red Architecture

Who knew there are enough red buildings to warrant a whole book about them? This curation by Stella Paul showcases buildings from around the world. Paul has worked at the Met, the LACMA, and she established the Smithsonian Institution's Southern California Center for the Archives of American Art.

Odds And Ends

More red things: SeaVees Bodega Clogs in Tomato, Kamperett’s Meiere Midi Gown, a crochet mesh bag, a hand-embroidered napkin, “Strawberry” as a print, this Valentine Plaid Ruched Long Sleeve, and Blackbird Fabrics’ red viscose linen.

Read more posts from the Things I Like column here.

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