Valentine’s Day is a love it or hate it holiday. Some people will be going to the store to buy things they’ve never heard of to impress their significant other. Others want to share more of an experience—cooking at home together or getting couple’s massages. Some will go out to a romantic dinner destination while others will be rounding up their friends for a Galentine’s celebration. No matter how you feel about it, everyone’s day will have at least one thing in common: it will be marked by the color red in some way. With Valentine’s Day coming soon, as a designer, it makes me wonder about how the color red became associated as the color of love.
I’ve read that red is the color of heightened emotions and extremes—warmth, love, danger, anger, excitement, power, passion, fire, blood, intensity and strength. I also learned that the red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the goddess of love.
Red is an attraction color. There is a reason stop signs, emergency vehicles, stop lights, even McDonald’s signs all share the color red. If it’s meant to garner our attention, it’s probably red. Red was a coveted color in history. When textile dyes were starting to be developed, red was one of the most luxurious and expensive colors to achieve. Even for the rich, it was hard to obtain.
Though it can symbolize many things, red is best known for being the symbolic color of the heart. It’s only fitting that a thing as complicated, complex, and dynamic as the human heart be characterized by a color equally as complicated, complex, and dynamic. If for no other reason than that, it makes perfect sense that red would be the color of love- after all, it does come from the heart!
For Galentine’s day, we chose outfits that incorporated shades of red and pink. The Creative Chateau is a space “designed by creatives for creatives,” and the photography studio was transformed for their event. Each room was overflowing with party ideas, vignettes, and photo booths. We also saw beautiful products from local vendors, including jewelry, sweet treats, clothing, and much more. We also met Gracie, a Pomeranian rescue from the most precious dog adoption group. Pom Squad Rescue is dedicated to saving Pomeranians and other small dogs that are healthy or can be treated. The Coton House Team always has a great time together but was delighted to visit the different booths to bring the holiday together. What plans do you have for this year?
If you need help infusing a little passion in your home, we aren’t your go to for that, but we can help you add some color in moderation to liven up your space!
Happy Valentine’s Day!