• Pairing shiny red with neutrals and organic textures has the effect of softening the red and making it seem more playful rather than brash. Case in point: The first photo... the wicker basket, hemp-colored linen chair, and rough-hewn wood table are such brilliant counterpoints to the shiny red hardware on the sideboard.
• Bring in other red accents in different textures—fluffy, nubbly, matte—to add depth and interest.
• If you aren't totally sold on bright red but want its pop, just use it for one or two small but crucial details, like cabinet hardware or a lamp base.
• Shiny red in a lush, verdant garden is sheer genius. See the third photo, a garden designed by Susan Welti (featured in The New York Times).
Some more red accent inspiration (and shopping guidance!) from the archives:
• Roundup: Red Accent Tables
• Accent Color: Bright Red With Wood Tones
• Roundup: Red Accents and Accessories for the Home
Do you have shiny red accents in your home? Tell us how you make it work!
(Images: Design*Sponge; Metropolitan Home, via Alicia B Designs; Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times; I Suwannee; Elle Decor)
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Four-P...
On Saying No to Paleo: Why Eating Isn't One Size Fits All
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
The terrace with the red chair is really nice! I wish I had the guts to do that. Red is a bold color to pull off.
Even in clothing, I still can make myself wear a nice shiny red pair of shoes. I have a pair, but in a washed out type of red, too chicken to buy the real deal...
That's so funny. I did a post yesterday about all the red accents in my study and was wondering what colour to paint the walls. Lots of lovely people gave their advice: two camps - blue/turquoise or neutrals. Still deciding!
The colour balance in the first photo is off. The saturation is way too yellow to see how the red works in the room.
I have incorporated red accents into my kitchen decor--red curtains, there's a little red in the painting on the wall, red cookbook stand. Walls are light grey. I think there's no need to fear this colour as long as there are a few neutrals around to balance things out.
That chair in the main pic is so lovely! Anyone know where it's from?
I still love red roses for a pop of colour. If I have a bunch I'll snip individual stems and pop them in old jars or glasses around the house.
I have red accents in my white rental kitchen. Toaster, Spice Jars and Poppy Decals on my Fridge. I think it's important not to go overboard with such a bold colour. It's easy to get caught up in buying everything in red so I had to exercise extreme self control!