Sterling K. Brown's bedroom takes on the unexpected red trend with bold, contrasting throw pillows

Seeing red lately? It's no coincidence. The unexpected red trend has taken over our social media feeds, with bursts of the fiery shade peppering bathrooms, living spaces, and even front doors. One actor was ahead of the curve, having shared an Instagram post of his bedroom prior to the style emerging.

Oscar-nominated actor Sterling K. Brown, star of This is Us, American Fiction, and the upcoming film Atlas alongside Jennifer Lopez, posted a photo of his all-white bed, accented with cherry red throw pillows.

'It’s finally happened. After 14 years of marriage, I’ve finally reached the place where the bed does not feel fully made without the damn decorative pillows!' he captioned the post. We tend to agree and love the bold color choice.

The unexpected red theory hinges on a surprising burst of color, in a room where red may not be a "natural" fit. There's no better place to try this out than the bedroom, where we so often opt for netural hues; and experts concur.

'Spaces for rest don’t often call shades of red to mind – but isn’t that what the unexpected red trend is all about? Using striking pops of the color to contrast with calming blues is a great example of how to use the unexpected red trend in truly the most unforeseen way,' says Stephanie King, creative lead at Dulux.

Although red is not typically known as a restful color, when paired with blue, which is renowned for its peaceful properties, it is balanced out and therefore functions well in a space meant for sleeping.

'This trend is for the bedrooms of those who spend all their time on TikTok looking for interior inspiration,' King explains. 'They know the hugely beneficial impact of blues on their sleep, but want to still be experimental in their design choices.'

We love how Brown maintained a calm bedding scheme with white linens but contrasted them with a variety of textured, red throw pillows. The juxtaposition certainly makes the red unexpected, but because the pillows are small, it is not overpowering to the eye.

Shop unexpected red – bedroom edition

Below, we have rounded up some red bedroom accessories to achieve a similar style. We particularly love the boucle pillow cover – a piece that taps into two design trends at once. What more can we want from our accessories?