Should the red chair go?

I haven’t written about Luke’s room for a couple of weeks. You might remember all the mixtures of BLUES going on in his room, and Luke’s desire that the only colors be blue, black and white.  I convinced him to let me add an additional color like red, since that would go with his previous desire for a flame scheme. (Remember this post?)  The hallway in to his room is bold yellow (as you might have seen in Friday’s post), and a third primary color felt cool.  So we painted his desk chair red. When it arrived we all loved it…except Luke. So then I got unsure…maybe it’s too feminine? But now Luke might have come around to liking it.  So we decided we would ask your opinion.

You might remember his bed as it had arrived in the room…

Lots of blues.

So we added some black fur pillows, black hotel bedding and also a black and white graphic curtain.

Besides all the blues and black and white graphics, there’s also a brown worn leather club chair in the room.  So adding some red felt really fun. We started with a cool, red pillow from Jonathan Adler.

Love this Barghello Hazard pillow! It looks great in the worn leather club chair or on the bed. (will show later).

But it needed more touches of red I thought.  So…

…we bought this dusty, forgotten chair. It had such a great shape. I added…

…this black and white zig zag fabric and shiny red paint. I’m pretty sure I selected a high gloss red, which I had left over from the chandelier in the dining room. I make my color selections so fast and give to Omar sometimes I forget.

But now it looks like…

..this.

Can a guy have a red chair?? Or do men and boys need to stick to browns, blacks and blues? I always get so frustrated shopping for boys. If you look in a Pottery Barn catalog, the boy’s rooms stick to only blues and greens, whereas the girls have a huge array of colors to choose from. Same goes for clothing.  Isn’t it time to break away from that?

But then again we don’t want his room to feel “girly”. Perhaps we’ve been brainwashed as to what colors are appropriate for boys? I don’t know…

But if I add this little black shag pillow it definitely is too feminine!! But perhaps if I add a black sweater knit pillow or a leather pillow will bring out the boyish side of the chair?

The fur pillow will be used else where!

Everything else is masculine…

This over sized clock that I picked up at Homegoods hangs on the wall.

We also bought some inexpensive shiny black frames from Kohl’s.

Jenny photo shopped some images of our canine crew and created special effects in black and white, giving them a little edge. If you know how to use photo shop this is a cheap way to add a little Andy Warhol effect to your images. Next time I want to do it in color.

The picture on the right is Bubba waiting for Luke at the school bus.

Since it’s Luke’s favorite thing to see those giant ears stick out of the car as he gets off the school bus.

I wanted an animal head, but not a real one. And lately I’ve seen so many wood ones around, I thought this one in news paper print from Anthropologie was more unusual and sweet.

Here is a quick snapshot…(ignore the pillow).

But what do you think?  Should the red chair stay or should it go?

It can also be painted navy…

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39 thoughts on “Should the red chair go?

  1. I totally agree with Anne. I think red can definitely be a masculine color. However, the chair kind of screams feminine.

  2. I, for one, think this is a RAD (that word seems appropriate here for some reason) kid's room makeover. It feels simultaneously retro and modern. And, most importantly, so PLAYFUL! Amidst a rather sophisticated palate of blues, black, white, and charcoal, the chair and the Jonathan Adler pillow, in this fan's humble opinion, stand out as whimsical, surprising, and youthful. In my opinion, it has to stay! And if Luke doesn't want this chair, I do!

  3. Definitely helps with a different pillow, but I think the red with the black and white looks good. But there's something else that doesn't fit Luke… You should go with his gut instinct and not use the chair in his room (if you can use it somewhere else). Like Anne and Krista, yeah, maybe it's the lines of the chair that went against Luke's gut!?

  4. I personally think the chair is fine in his room – red is a great accent color with all the blues and blacks and I love the geometric print on the chair seat…He's a "boy" not a "man", so with all of the other masculine elements in the room, this feels fine! Love the work you've done!

  5. I love the black and white with the blue, but I do think the red is all wrong for all those blues. I would leave the fabric, but paint the chair like a bright yellow, orange or green to offset all the blue. It will still give you a pop of color, but be a little more masculine

  6. How about a red stool or slick red metal chair for his desk? I agree with posters above..it is a slightly femme/ sophisticated style for a tween boy's room…I do my boys rooms in the same colors as you.

  7. My 16 year old really liked the red paint and the black and white fabric, but did not care for the chair itself.
    I personally love the chair and would be happy to give it a good home if all else fails.

  8. I love the red chair and find it perfect for the room, no matter if it is a boys or a girls room. To me it looks like a kings throne and at least in my opinion it gives a playful and creative touch to the room. A little like the scandinavian pippi longstocking-style that I personally find very charming. So go for it. At least I would. Also love the dog prints btw.

  9. I love the chair in this room. Just because he's a boy doesn't mean every piece you put in the room has to be masculine. The overall pic still reads masculine and so what if the chair lines are a little more feminine? If that still bothers your son I say just stick a graphic "boyish" pillow on the chair and most of that "femininity" will be covered up. Just my two cents 🙂

  10. I agree with Peter and think the lines of the chair work well with those of the bed, the overall look is fabulous! If you son doesn't love it, then Jennifer's ideas of a red metal chair or stool is great too. I love that you are so bold with your color and fabric choices, they are fun and inviting. Keep up the great work!

    Cathy

  11. The fact that Luke does not like it, means it should go. I say paint it black!! It is his room and black is what he likes and it will look great!!! I always felt their room should be their room, we can decorate the rest of the house as we like. I do love your use of color and fun in your home, it always makes me smile!!! KS

  12. I think whatever Luke likes trumps all! The red chair feels feminine to me because of its shape, but if he likes it then that's all that matters! If he's on the fence about it, maybe try a chair with clean lines and see how that sits? And I like the idea of leather or faux leather adding a more masculine feel!

  13. Agree w/the other commenters. It's the lines that read feminine, not the color. Since you're thinking about it I think it means it doesn't quite go. Can you replace with w/a very simple, straight back chair in fire engine red or black?

  14. I guess it is open to interpretation! I think the back of the chair could be feminine, but it could also be masculine since it looks a bit like a shield. I say keep it if Luke is fine with it!

  15. I love the red chair and find it perfect for the room, no matter if it is a boys or a girls room. To me it looks like a kings throne and at least in my opinion it gives a playful and creative touch to the room. A little like the scandinavian pippi longstocking-style that I personally find very charming. So go for it. At least I would. Also love the dog prints btw.

  16. I think the chair is gorgeous, but if Luke is hesitant, I'd go with his reaction. You want him to love every bit of his room. The lines of the chair are a bit feminine, but what if all the other elements associated with it were pure masculine…like painted orange with a rugby style, color block pillow?

    The room is amazing!!

  17. I agree with many of the commenters who have mentioned the lines of the chair. I have a feeling that this may not grow on him, in which case I would get him something very simple with straighter lines. The rest of the room is a home run!

  18. Since when is red a feminine color? I don't think it's the color that's throwing him off {since that's the color of the flames he first suggested} I think the shape and style of the chair is just too grown up and maybe a little too feminine for him … I LOVE the bright red pop of color in his all blue room, but since he's not sure with the chair, if possible I would get a more masculine or industrial looking chair and paint it the same color.

  19. i was going to say exactly what the first commenter said- the lines are a little too feminine. a red chair would look great and bring a nice pop of color to the room, but the chair itself needs to be a little more masculine.

  20. Wow the chair is perfect! Just the POP of color I think and YES a guy can and should have a red chair!
    I can't wait to see the finished room I love your style!

  21. Red is very much a guy's color.

    Now, if Luke DIDN'T like the chair, then would paint it navy or find another place for it.

    Maybe if Luke had a pillow that said "guy" on it–like whatever he loves that has red in it to like a race car
    or game character or representation of one of his hobbies the chair would make sense and be backdrop for that.

    I can see a pantalon or ghost chair there at that desk, too. The desk has simple lines so a fun avant-garde chair really pops. If he's going to work at that desk, comfort really matters. Is that chair comfortable? On another site I saw a white chair, kind of leatherish, with wheels in a modern style that would look great. There's a site called copy cat chic or something that has less expensive knock-offs of classic chairs and I think she featured one there…..but comfort if he's going to sit there a lot and be on his computer or do homework would matter. If not, then style can dominate. Can have both.

    I saw that Chris Madden had a leopard chair in her son's room but he's in his 20's and off at college–so he either isn't around enough to care or he's absorbed her good taste.

  22. i'm with the other commenters, it's the chair and not the color, as red is totally a "boy color". and i love the pop of color in all the blue and black.

  23. I think the curved lines of the chair and the "watermelon" red color are what Luke is not completely comfortable with. I love the chair and the entire room, but he might be happy with a simple linear chair perhaps in a darker red color. The mirror outside his room in the hall is a more intense red color and looks great.

  24. What does Luke say? I think he knows exactly what he likes. I like red in any room! I love the color, but perhaps the lines of the chair are a little on the feminine side_ On the other hand, this is a beautiful piece that so easily can be moved around (unlike William's roman shades – which I also struggle with. Should they be blue or red???).

    Start with it and see how if feels.

    LOVE the images of Bubba and of course everything else you are doing with the room. Talented you are!

    ox, Mon

    P.S Hej min vän. Jätte jobbigt hemma i Stockholm. Måste flyga hem inom några dagar/veckor (?) för att ta hand on min gamla mamma som akut måste in på ett hem. Kanske jag kan få be on lite blogghjälp när jag är borta. Kram.

  25. I think the chair itself is "soft" so I would rather see it in a chocolate brown for a masculine space. How about adding a herringbone pillow or cover?
    Can't wait to see what you do!
    -{darlene}
    fieldstonehilldesign.com

  26. Keep the chair! The lines complement the bedframe, and the colors keep it all masculine while not being too boring or strong for a childs room. LOVE IT

  27. The red chair should STAY! Maybe with a plaid shirt pillow (thinking blue, black,, red and yellow)! Your boy sure is a LUCKY one! The antlers are fantastic! Definitely coming together nicely!

  28. I think Luke should love what's in his room, so perhaps a new amazing chair it is! 🙂 That being said, love the update with a great paint color and bold print fabric! I update amzing pieces with great lines in need of some TLC for my store and for clients….look at my blog <a href="http://www.stylestudiollc.com” target=”_blank”>www.stylestudiollc.com Tanya

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