Home: The Meaning of Red
Story by Danny Taylor, local Realtor with DT & Co and decorating guru for CaryCitizen. Photo by Jun Aviles.
Cary, NC – RED…the very word brings to mind a passion for living….it sounds fast and exciting! Red is also the color associated with matters of the heart….aka love.
The Meaning of Red
It is only natural that this heavily saturated color has been adopted along with it’s sister version (pink) for Valentines Day!
Red is one of the most difficult colors to achieve and one of the most unstable of all colors (in reference to the dye process). This is why when you wash your new red sweatshirt with white socks they come out pink! I have included a link for tips to prevent your hubby from having pink undies!
Perhaps this instability has a relationship to romantic relationships, as most (not all) fade somewhat with time.
Women have long known the power of red. Red lips and fingernails are a classic example. Many years ago a beauty firm, Elizabeth Arden, based a long running ad campaign on “The Red Door”. They were the first day spa in the county, and the red door was their logo. This indicated that beauty was only steps away behind the Red Door!
Red has many meaning in other cultures. I found this chart that touches on most of them. You will see that it reinforces many of the ideas I have elaborated on in this writing.
Meanings of Red in Other Cultures
- In Russia Red symbolizes Communism and revolution.
- In China brides wear Red and it is considered a Good Luck color.
- To most Asians Red means happiness and prosperity.
- In India Red is a symbol of life-giving purity.
- In the Middle East the color symbolism of Red is Danger and Evil.
- In Greece Red is considered a dominant male color.
- In Japan Red is considered a life-giving color associated with female reproduction.
- In Christianity, Red combined with Green is associated with Christmas.
- To some Native Americans specially the Cherokee, Red symbolizes the East and Sacred Fire.
- In South Africa Red is the color of mourning.
- In Amsterdam Red sells sex in the Red Light district, a legalized zone of prostitution.
*from “color wheel artist”
I have a red front door (this may be illegal in Cary). It is considered globally to be a symbol of good luck. This is why I will often suggest to a new seller to paint the front door red. Not only does is bring good luck, but it will certainly catch your eye from the street!
Paint Your Door Red!
So the next time your front door need a new coat of paint, consider some shade of red! You can always tell your new friends, “my house is the one with the red front door”.
Red….the color of passion and good luck! What more could you ask of a color?
