Red Seeing

Crimson has always been one of

Sonna Surface’s favorite colors, and her Indianapolis home proves that the dramatic color packs a lot of decorating punch. A former teacher who earned an associate’s degree in interior design after retiring, Sonna notes, “Using red as an accent color in my main rooms has always been a rule of thumb for me. I think red warms up a room and draws your eye.” Here are a few ways to put your own rooms on red alert:

1. Be seated.

Accent furniture, such as wood chairs or tables, is perfect for introducing color. Mix in small salesmen’s samples and children’s chairs, as Sonna does on the open shelving around her family room fireplace; or choose reproductions of red wingback models, as she did in her living room. Extend the look outdoors by substituting red rockers for traditional front-porch white.

2. Read all about it.

Scout thrift stores, garage sales and used-book outlets for old books with red covers and incorporate them in vintage-themed vignettes, as Sonna does throughout her rooms. Stacks of books make great risers for elevating items in a display or breaking up collections on a shelf.

3. Let your light shine.

Seek out red lamps or shades to illuminate groupings, as Sonna does, or add old-style lanterns near a neutral sofa, such as the one in her living room.

4. Run for cover.

Quilts or other vintage textiles that feature shades of red can cover beds, drape over sofas, top tables or hang on walls, invigorating a room’s appearance with color and pattern, Sonna suggests.

5. See the signs.

Introduce a graphic element into a room or arrangement with vintage or vintage-style signs that include red lettering, motifs, background or detailing, such as the examples in Sonna’s kitchen and family room.

“My mom always loved this house, and I do, too. It has lots of potential and good memories.”

Sonna and Bruce repainted the kitchen’s existing custom cabinets and installed granite counters and a tile backsplash to give the room a fresh look. Over the butcher block, a trash-picked ladder hosts a hanging display of Sonna’s favorite country baskets; below it, a floorcloth contributes pattern to the space.

A grouping of vintage and vintage-style signs lends the kitchen’s cozy eating area an oldfashioned, diner-like flair. Chairs painted black ground the space and work especially well with the bright reds on the tins and signs. A framed feed sack and an oak table—a $40 yard-sale bargain— add easy country charm. 21

Left: The bookcases that frame the family room fireplace neatly contain smaller collectibles, such as vintage crocks, small chairs and books, and coordinate with the painted mantel and stonework. A railroad cart with original chippy paint makes an unexpected, yet appealing, coffee table with an industrial feel.

Above: A textured wall treatment is the backdrop for a tobacco basket and snowshoes in the family room. Red books, pillows and signs brighten the otherwise neutral corner.

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Left: A peaceful guest bedroom is one of the few rooms that does not include touches of red. Sonna gave new life to a pine bedroom set by painting it white, and she topped the carpeted floor with a patterned area rug for added interest.

Above: A potting bench made from a salvaged door was purchased from a friend and now extends a warm welcome on Sonna and Bruce’s back porch. Garden goods, including an old birdhouse and several vintage watering cans, complement the piece. “My mom was crazy about old watering cans,” Sonna notes.