W hen the Brooklyn-based interior designer takes on a new project, her first step often involves turning to Pinterest to stoke visual inspiration. Recently she was scrolling throu💃gh the image-sharing social media service, trawling for ideas that might work for her clients. While absentmindedly saving images, she eventually realized an unusual pattern that kept turning up again and again in her findings.
Migliazzo Simon, who admittedly favors textured tones and neutrals over typically bright colors, started noticing that many of these tasteful rooms that had caught her eye featured a single touch of red within them – anything from the subtle burgundy shade of a throw blanket, a cherry-red picture frame or a scarlet-toned accent wall. To her, the inclusion of that single color made a space come together in an idiosyncratic way, even if the particular aesthetic itself varied wildly from, say, Brutalism to 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:maximalism. “All of these rooms h🥂ave that pop of red that looks really good and really inten🅺tional,” she remembers thinking.
After she noticed this trend cropping up on Pinterest, she began seeing it everywhere in her daily life: A stranger’s maroon-tinged socks peeking througꩲh their pants on the subway. A p🐲air of red shoes clomping down the sidewalk. A hint of shimmering red lipstick, a noticeable shock on an otherwise neutral outfit.
From these observations Migliazzo Simon developed her “168开奖官方开奖网站查询:unexpected red theory,” which she documen♛ted in a . In it, she defines the theory as “basically adding anything that’s red, big or small, to a room where it doesn’t match at all and it automatically looks better.” As an example, Migliazzo Simon showed an image of a modern take on an 80s-era bathroom – with gold faucets and blue-green marbled tones – with red sinks lending a chic albeit unconventional feel to the washroom. “I feel that if you're including that unexpected red in your wardrobe or your home, it’s a choice,” Migliazzo Simon tells Sotheby’s. “Almost tongue in cheek.”
UNEXPECTED RED THEORY
Throughout history, red has been regarded as a maximalist hue signaling at once emotive passion and danger in the natural world. Studies have even shown that the color red is a potent marker of⛄ within humans, even capable of impacting motor abilities. So it’s fitting that red similarly draws the eye in a d♍esign context.

“You can’t be shy if you’re going to add a bold color.”
The unexpected red theory is particularly well-suited to interiors, where countless design accents can enliven a space. But it doesn’t have to be solely relegated to interior design. A 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:chunky, 18 karat yellow gold ring engraved with red insignias, for instance, or the striking coral of a 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:stella-dial Rolex Day-Date watch🍃 can elevate a simple look to give i꧙t an irreverent and stylish feel.
Th💜e most important tip Migliazzo Simon can offer when applying the unexpected red theory, for styling artworks, thinking of accent design elements and within personal wardrobe choices alike, involves going into it with the right attitude. By including a potentially polarizing color like red, “you’re clearly making that decision and you're making a bold choice to stand out,” Migliazzo Simon says. “That applies with interiors as well. You can’t be shy if you’re going to add a bold color like that, especially.”

The use of red within design circles can be contentious, of course, as it’s hardly a neutral tone. Migliazzo Simon♒ says that clients of hers in the past have been skeptical about taking the step of using a bold red in their homes. Yet this design choice can often be surprising and result in intentional-looking spaces and sartorial proclivities alike. “If you’re choosing to do a red lampshade that would normally be beige, or if you’re d🔯oing a red rug that would normally be tan,” she says as an example, “it shows that you’re confident in what you’re wearing and what you decorate your home with.”
Taylor Migliazzo Simon’s Picks
The Brooklyn-based designer stopped by Sotheby’s to preview the upcoming 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:Design Week auctions (on view 31 May-5 🎀June in New York) and share her favorite works from the sales.
Cy Twombly’s ‘Death of Giuliano de Medici’
“Cy Twombly’s art is seeped in historical significance, and 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:Death of Giuliano de Medici is no exception. It represents a dramatic historical death – and also brings in the unexpected red theory, although the red in this painting depi൩cts someth🅘ing dark!”
Jean Prouvé’s Pair of ‘Demountable’ Chairs
“These 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:quintessential Jean Prouvé chairs a🎀re a classic and timeless add🌌ition to any home. I love the deep red-brown tone of the metal legs on this particular pair, which would blend well with any decor style.”
Charlotte Perriand’s Rare ‘Nuage’ Bookshelf
“Charlotte Perriand’s work balances form and function, and 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:this ‘nuage’ bookshelf is the perfect depiction of that. Its pistachio green color is the perfect ꦯcomplementary tone for something red.”
Set of Six ‘Drouant’ Side Chairs
“I am loving the return of Art Deco design, and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann was one of its most important influences in the 1920s. This 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:set of ‘drouant’ side chairs is also the perfect way t📖o incorporate the unexpected red theory🎶.”
Thomas Webb & Sons’ ‘Dancing Girl’ Vase
“Who doesn't want a token from the Gilded Age in their home? This stunning 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:red and blue vase by Thomas Webb & Sons would be perfect to showcase on top of a beautifulꦺ pedesta🦂l.”
Alberto Giacometti’s ‘Feuille’ Floor Lamp
“Alberto Giacometti was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century, and 168开奖官方开奖网站查询:this piece illustrates why. It’s the classic silhouette of a metal lamp but with a twist. I love pieces that at first glance look simple, but the more you observe the more that beautiful detai♔ls reveal themselves.”