“When in doubt, go with red,” the American fashion designer Bill Blass used to advice. In the design world, it becomes an invitation to take a chance, to bring life to the environments in which we live or work. In the new collections we saw it everywhere: in dark and dense versions (as the ‘Ancora red’ launched by Gucci in 2023 – fashion and design talk to each other, they certainly do) or bold and bright.
Red is the color of life, of attention. In a design project, choosing red means taking a stand, communicating confidence. When the concept is uncertain or lacks a focal point, red can become the element that gives coherence, rhythm and visual intensity. It is not just a color: it is an act of creative courage, capable of turning doubt into a statement. As in fashion, red in design is not a neutral choice, but a signature.
The Folda armchair, designed by Alessandro Stabile for Milani, is a composition of rectangular cushions – serving as seat, back, armrests and headrest – characterized by atypical proportions. Puffy volumes that contrast with the base, stylized and essential.
PLH’s Mono collection of control panels is inspired by the principles of Bauhaus, whose idea of using color as a design element it echoes, and is based on criteria of simplification and ease of use.
The Meninas armchair, designed by Herzog & de Meuron for Marta Sala Éditions, combines the theatricality of red velvet with a design that is both essential and, with its pentagonal shape, outside the norm.
Twist is the washbasin cabinet with three rotating drawers designed by Paolo Santandrea for RCR Italia. An open homage to the futuristic and playful side of much 1970s design.
Élitis’ Emile rug, shown here in its Terre d’Ombre color variant, artistically reinterprets the traditional Asian ikat technique to recreate the effect of large brush strokes.
The Nevada armchair by Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors evokes the sinuous shapes of the dunes and the power of the canyons. An object in which ethnic influences are distilled through rigorous design.
Red is one of the colors in the new palette proposed by the German company Occhio for its collections, which have always opted for more neutral tones. The photo shows the Gioia equilibrio table lamp (Gold at the IF Design Award 2022).
The Doublé dining table, designed by Simone Bonanni for Carpanese Home, has a sculptural base that is doubled and placed at different distances to adapt to the different dimensions of the oval top. Top in lacquered ash, marble or porphyry; legs in lacquered ash.
Artwork by Maripina Cappelletti; contributing editor Sabrina Sciama.
