Painting with Red: Tips and Tricks for a Flawless Finish

Chic neutral colour schemes will always have their place. But in recent years, we’ve seen a surge in people making bolder colour choices. Red and pink shades have become much more popular with people keen to add impact and warmth to their homes.

If you’re keen to embrace the red interiors trend, it’s important to do the prep work first. After all, red can signal danger so it’s important to take your time to get it right. Imperfections will be obvious with a strong colour like red. In this blog, we’ll share some expert tips on how to achieve the best results with red paint.

Walls in Arts Club™ No.281.

Should you paint walls red?

“Red is a bold colour choice, but it's not as intimidating if you know how to choose the right shade,” says Dominic Myland, owner of Mylands. “Deeper reds like Huguenot™ No. 49 are ideal if you’re looking for an earthier tone, while brighter hues like Red Post Hill™ No. 68 are lively, fun and vibrant, and an exciting way to make a statement.”

Red is a versatile colour with an array of shades ranging from pink to orange to purple hues. It adds real personality to a room, bringing drama, warmth, intensity and a passionate energy. You could paint a red accent wall as a focal point or colour drench an entire room to create a cocooning effect.

Red provides an excellent backdrop for artwork. We created our popular Dulwich Red paint for Dulwich Picture Gallery where it’s used to showcase the art gallery’s incredible oil paintings by the likes of Constable, Rubens and Rembrandt. Whether you’re displaying fine art, a favourite watercolour or a photograph, the right shade of red wall paint will set it off perfectly.

The challenges of painting with red

Red wall painting isn’t for the faint-hearted and that’s not just because of the strong colour choice. Red’s a colour that makes a statement and turns heads, but you want that to be for the right reasons - because it’s a striking interior design choice rather than because of the obvious flaws. Red paint can easily look patchy or rather insipid which dilutes the dramatic effect you’re likely to be after.

In order to avoid these pitfalls, there are a few elements to check when choosing your paint.

Ensure a Strong Base

It’s important that the red paint has a good depth of colour. Some paints comprise of tints that don’t cover very well. You’ll need to layer multiple coats of paint to achieve a decent red wall colour. Having to paint four or five coats per wall is tedious and time-consuming.

Look out for paints with excellent opacity which will result in better coverage.

Avoid a Patchy Finish

Everyone wants a flawless paint finish. This is all the more important when you’re using such an eye-catching colour. The problem is that tint doesn’t cover very evenly. When it dries, it can look shiny. The big challenge is to get an even sheen.

Wall in Huguenot™ No.49.

5 expert painting techniques when using red

What techniques can be used for painting with red to ensure even coverage? Here we’ll share some expert tips and painting techniques to achieve the best finish.

1. Choose a paint with a red base

For better coverage and depth of colour, choose a paint with a true red base. At Mylands, we use natural earth pigments in our paint which makes them sumptuously deep and colour rich as well as eco-friendly.

It’s a good idea to try before you buy too. Colour cards and sample pots of paint help you to decide on the best shade of red for your room.

2. Select the best sheen

Gloss, eggshell, satin, matt? Which paint finish should you choose?

This is particularly important with an eye-catching paint colour like red. Gloss paint may have a harder finish and be more resistant to staining than other finishes, but it shows imperfections more clearly. It’s more prone to streaks too. Lower sheen paints are more forgiving.

3. Start with primer

To get the best results and the red colour that you desire, it’s best to start with a primer on your walls. If you apply red paint on top of a white or neutral colour, you’ll dilute the end result and can get more of a pink hue. A grey primer is a good starting point to ensure a rich red wall colour. It allows the paint to cover a lot better and touch up easier too. Mylands wall primer has high opacity and is micro-porous, so it adheres really well to most existing finishes.

4. Blend brush strokes with roller stippling

For a sleek, professional finish, you want to avoid visible brush strokes. You may well use a paintbrush for fiddly areas like corners, trims and window frames. The expert tip is to go over it with a roller (a mini one is advisable) to smooth out the paint and achieve the best finish. You’ll find tutorials on YouTube to show this painting technique in more detail.

5. Maintain consistent roller direction

When you roll walls, it’s important to finish in the same direction. So if you roll from top to bottom on your final coat, make sure you do the same when rolling the next section.

You want to create an even finish rather than strokes that look more like an abstract expressionist artwork. Remember, you’re painting a red wall rather than creating contemporary art! Avoid abstract patterns by maintaining a consistent roller direction during painting.

Wall (Right) in Arts Club™ No.281.

How many coats of white paint do you need to cover red?

You may decide you no longer want a wall the colour of poppies or a Mark Rothko abstract art painting, but it’s not as simple as just covering it in white paint. Again, it’s advisable to start with a primer - white in this case - before applying white acrylic paint. We recommend two coats of Mylands paint (such as bestselling marble matt emulsion) as it has outstanding opacity.

Painting your home red

Just as a slick of red lipstick adds a sophisticated flourish to your outfit, red wall painting makes an impactful statement in your home. Red translates to many design styles too - sleek minimalist or dramatic maximalist; deep and intense or warm and inviting.

The important factor when using red paint is to take time and care with your preparation and application. Any imperfections will be highlighted by this bold colour choice.

Mylands has a rich history of working with the British film, television and theatre industry - with red being a preferred shade for theatrical settings. Our quality paints are trusted by professionals in these creative industries, and you can trust in them too.

Browse our red paint colours to find the shade that works for you.

Take a look at our red decor ideas for bedrooms and living rooms.

Explore more red and pink paint ideas for your home

Over the past few years there has been a surge in popularity of both reds & pinks. Across both hues from the brighter to the deeper shades, the various shades can add an immediate touch of warmth and sophistication to any space.