Nailing 'Unexpected Red Theory' without your home looking too much like Christmas
Red Light Therapy and red light accessories have differing outcomes
I was listening to a podcast about real estate investments recently, and the interviewee reminded homeowners that their first home didn’t have to be their last home. She laughed and talked about how her first home had laminate floors and maroon carpet — as if that was a bad thing.
I raised an eyebrow. First, laminate floors are durable, easy to keep clean by sweeping and don’t trap pet dander like carpet does. Second, “Maroonsista” was my nickname from college all the way into my early 30s. I was so hardcore about this color that I made sure my college dorm and first apartment had maroon items sprinkled everywhere in it, including a maroon microwave.
Even before then, my prom dress was maroon, and one of my favorite photographs was of me standing in my great great aunt’s living room with my date (who was wearing a maroon tie to match my maroon corsage). Under my maroon heels was maroon carpet. I love the photographs I took at her home more than my own home.
Regardless of that, everybody doesn’t have to love each interior design choice. Home trends come and go, trend and disappear. One that crossed my radar recently is the “Unexpected Red Theory,” an interior design concept encouraging homeowners to add a pop of red — whether big or small — to a space where it may be least likely to go. The goal is this “red” unexpected touch enhances the overall aesthetic of the home, making the room stylish and less bland from all neutral colors.
Coined by Brooklyn-based interior designer Taylor Migliazzo Simon and a 2024 TikTok trend, I still randomly see the Unexpected Red Theory pop up here and there. Because I loved maroon for well over a decade, I already knew how to add a color within the red family without it looking like Christmas.
Here are 14 suggested items that bring the Unexpected Red Theory into homes.
1. Red Reading Chairs
Whether you need a comfortable chair in your home library or a place to snuggle up and watch a movie, finding a comfortable chair is mandatory. These red chairs could sit in a corner or in the middle of the room. They support 275 to 300 pounds.
2. Red End Tables
Use this red table (above) as a nightstand or a coffee table. It works for both. You don’t even have to be matchy-matchy and find books with red covers. This colorful, acrylic table (above) can hold approximately 66 pounds. The engineered wood red end table (below) holds a maximum of 24 pounds.
3. Red Decorative (or Functional) Bowls
These bowls can be used for a variety of things: hot and cold soup, oatmeal, cereal, chowders, stew, chili and desert. If stored on a floating shelf, it’s also a pop of color in the kitchen. (And use the cozy huggers, featured below, for items that are too hot or too cold to hold with your bare hands.)
4. Red Phones (Landline)
If you are a Generation Xer or an ‘80s Millennial (Generation Y), you have seen this corded phone before. And while more than three-quarters (76%) of Americans and 87% of children live in homes without landlines, there’s a safety argument to be made for why some households still have landlines. If a Wi-Fi connection goes down, that can affect a home’s Internet and home surveillance cameras. (An attorney recently found that out the hard way when two unnamed men showed up to his door, simply for helping someone out with legal advice. If you call 911 right now, your entire blocked list will become temporarily unblocked. With a landline, there is way less control over your phone access.)
While both of these phones are funny and a little on the sexy side, there’s a serious argument to be made for why a landline is still significant.
5. Red Kitchen Electronics
A little under a year ago, I bought this blender. And as much as I love that the cup can twist off of the blender attachment and be used as a personal cup, on two occasions, I twisted the cup bottom a little too hard. During the second time, I broke a couple of nails trying to twist the bottom off to wash the cup. After using a dry hand towel and running water didn’t work, I found an online tip to hit the middle of the lid and turn. That worked, but I felt like I walked out of a gym by the time this cup chaos was over. While this red jar opener is for people with arthritis, I can think of plenty of other reasons to have this nearby.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
6. Red Ottomans
Use storage ottomans to keep things organized, as a seat, as a footrest or for dog supplies. If you lose interest in the Unexpected Red Theory aesthetic later, two of these three red ottomans can be stored away until you feel like using them again.
Recommended Read: “Got an overloaded kitchen cabinet with dog supplies? Get organized! ~ Green living and budget-friendly ways to organize your dog's kitchen cabinet or drawer”
This one (below) is not foldable, it’s just comfy.
7. Red Pillowcases (and Pillows)
If you’re the matchy-matchy homeowner type (read: me) who just isn’t sold on one bright furniture item that doesn’t go with anything else, throw pillows go a long way. Place them on your couches and chairs to expand the red aesthetic.
8. Red Seat Cushions
I have a black office desk chair that I don’t want to part with, but the seating area is starting to wear. (I honestly don’t know how long I’ve had this chair. My guess is at least 10 years.) The chair itself, including the floor rollers, are still in great condition, and I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars solely for a new seat. I had two seat cushions that may have originally been meant for outdoor chairs. Last year, I flopped one in this office chair seat. A year later, I’ve still been able to use my high-back home office chair, and it’s very comfortable to sit in.
9. Red Rugs
Red carpet does not have to be gaudy or look like you’re headed to an awards show. In fact, even if all of your furniture is anything but red, having carpet with a touch of red in it is perfect for the Unexpected Red Theory. The rest of your neutral or dark-colored furniture can match all of the other colors in the rug, and the red will still have the desired effect. The goal is to add a touch of red, not to make the whole room look like a bowl of chili.
10. Red Wall Art
Wall art is one of the easiest ways to add a splash of color. Sometimes, this may be too easy and get overlooked. If wall art is used, make sure it’s a painting that won’t get drowned out on a wall full of colorful framed photographs and other images.
Recommended Read: “Creating stress-free, dopamine-causing, DIY wall art ~ Try these eight ideas to upgrade your wall decor space”
I could have an entire wall dedicated to Frank Morrison and Annie Lee, but Frank Morrison loves blues and purples. Outside of the featured painting above and this one, his work is tough to find in eye-popping red colors — or red at all. But the wall art doesn’t have to be people. Sometimes red abstract art is just as intriguing.
11. Red Flowers (and Red Vases)
Red flowers (and vases) are when the home decor can start looking like leftover Valentine’s Day gifts and the Christmas aisle. Stay away from roses and tulips, red boxes, and poinsettias. They’re very pretty flowers, but there are enough other options that aren’t already affiliated with these two holidays. Or, choose flowers with just a sprinkle of red and buy a vase in a complementary color to balance it out.
12. Red Candles
This may be leaning a little too close to Christmas and Valentine’s Day again. However, in the event of a power outage, it’s never a bad idea to have battery-powered lights or motion-sensor lights nearby. It also saves a few dollars on the electricity bill.
Recommended Read: “Why a broken light switch made me prefer mood lighting ~ I'm not surprised by the lamp bathroom light trend on TikTok”
13. Red Ceiling Fans
Looking up and seeing a red ceiling fan is a conversation starter on its own, especially when it’s far more common to see brown, black and white fans. This can literally cool you off and looks cool too.
14. Red Lamps
A red lamp, like red carpet, can be a tough sell. It’s oftentimes too bright or looks like a kid’s room lamp. (This is one of many reasons I opted out of most red home decor when maroon wasn’t available.) But every blue moon (red moon?), homeowners can luck up on a few cool red lamps.
And if you’ve been hearing about why red lights are helpful as sleep aids, when it may seem like it’d sound more like a police warning or the Red Light District, there are arguably a few reasons for this kind of light to be soothing. Light plays a key role in your circadian rhythm to get a good night’s sleep.
About Red Light Therapy
Using decorative red light bulbs, red LED candles or red lamps is not to be confused with at-home red light therapy. The latter is used to remove fine lines and wrinkles, remove dark spots, soften rough-feeling skin, get rid of discoloration like redness, and tighten loose skin. In some cases, it has been used in hopes of growing hair. Click here to find out the pros and cons of red light therapy. Regular red bulbs are solely used for ambiance and may help with sleep. Red light therapy, on the other hand, uses wavelengths to penetrate the skin and stimulate cellular repair.
For African-Americans using red light therapy, darker skin tones may be more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation if the skin is irritated or exposed to excessive heat. Melanin-rich skin may absorb light differently, potentially requiring longer or more frequent sessions to achieve the same results as lighter skin tones. (For Black people with tattoos, this is also a factor in how tattoos show up — specifically brighter colors. It is another reason why tattoo removal is done in less powerful doses in order to avoid discoloration.)
Red light therapy is still a controversial practice that some are completely sold on while others are skeptical. Talk to a doctor before trying this. You can try Unexpected Red Theory any time you like though!
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the now-weekly paid posts each Friday (as of March 16, 2025). Thanks for reading!