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The tale of Daily Howard's love affair with red plays out on the wing chair in her dining room. Its range of tones, from brick to burgundy, lets her move it to any spot. "I've had the chair upholstered in that fabric for over 20 years," she says. "It has every color in my house and literally has been in every room." Chinese red cabinets and trim link the kitchen to the adjacent dining room. Dark accents, such as a scorched-bamboo cabinet, tone down vibrant walls. The living and dining areas get limited sunlight, so the bold orange-red compensates.

 

Paint is the most direct way to bring color into a room, but sources such as wood pieces and accessories get into the act as well. In the living room, a variety of accents enhance the color palette, from a mahogany secretary to antique paisley fragments made into throw pillows. Visual resting points balance the strong hues: white trim and shutters in the living room, soft floral dining room curtains, and pumpkin-and-red kitchen wallpaper.

 

Touches of red also appear in the dining room draperies and in the antique samplers and framed needlework. Even the vintage ledger books on the tiered butler's table fit the theme.

 

Soft green mixed with orange-red accents provides a restful palette for the bedroom. The warm tones in each play nicely off each other.