Salma Hayek's Christmas tree decorations signal a big color trend for 2024, and it is a divisive one

Christmas might be over for another year, but we're already looking ahead to what we predict will be one of the most popular color trends in 2024. Look no further than a rich red for an enticing and enveloping hue.

Red can transform interiors, adding a sophisticated and fun aesthetic, so copy actress Salma Hayek, and decorate it with red for a truly bold scheme. Not just for the holiday season, red can be used throughout the year, whether as an accent color or an all-over room color. But why the sudden adoration for perhaps one of the most stressful colors in existence? 

Despite its negative connotations, red is also one of the most passionate and life-enhancing colors to use in a decorating scheme. Red offers a luxurious bank of positive energy. Whether you highlight a design scheme with touches of carefully chosen accessories or paint walls floor to ceiling in a deep shade of this versatile color, it can transform interiors and create different moods, from refined to playful, depending on its application.

Historically, red has associations with wealth and status. ‘We have been using red to decorate the walls of our homes from the beginning of human existence,’ explains Marianne Shillingford, creative director of Dulux. ‘We find red on the walls of the earliest cave dwellers and red pigment was used in Neanderthal burials as a symbol of life. It has the longest visual wavelength of any color, which makes it the most impactful, and it is famous for stimulating the appetite, good conversation, and love, making it an enduring favorite in the dining room and the bedroom,’ she continues.

Brandon Schubert, director, of Brandon Schubert Studio also shares our love for red rooms: ‘I love deep red hues and use them often in my projects. It’s a color that can take on loads of different attitudes depending on what you pair it with. It’s that versatility that makes deep rusty reds a perfect choice for joinery.’ 

Choosing how and where to use red in your scheme can create completely different effects. Color drenching a room with red walls and matching upholstery offers a fully immersive effect. In contrast, dialing down the red percentage to a discreet trim on white bedlinen or to the leading edge of a curtain can be equally as thrilling. Plus, this color is not just for Christmas, so be brave and use this color trend all year round in 2024. 

Shop the red Christmas edit

While Christmas 2023 might be a mere memory for most of us, now is the best time to shop for Christmas decorations for the following year, especially if you are on a strict budget. Here is a curated selection of our favorite red ornaments that are available in the after-Christmas sales.