Red Wallpaper: Shades, Styles & How to Make It Yours
The Boldest, Warmest Colour of All
No colour makes a room feel quite as alive as red. It's warm, confident and full of character — a colour that draws people in, sparks conversation and turns a wall into a statement. But red is far more versatile than its reputation suggests. It ranges from a soft, dusky terracotta to a deep, sophisticated claret, from a cheerful pillar-box red to a rich, cocooning burgundy. Used well, red brings a room warmth, drama and a wonderful sense of occasion.
At Claret & Key, red is never a compromise. Because every design is drawn in-house and printed to order in your chosen colour way, you choose the exact red you want — and any of our designs can be made in it. Your shade, your pattern, made especially for you in our Cheshire studio.
A shade for every mood
Red's range is greater than most people realise. A soft coral or terracotta is warm, earthy and gentle. A classic true red is cheerful, bold and timeless. A deep burgundy or claret is rich, grown-up and sophisticated. And a dark, inky oxblood is dramatic and enveloping. Whether you want a warm lift or a deep, cocooning statement, there's a red for it, and we'll print your design in precisely that tone.
The art of pairing red
Red rewards thoughtful pairing. Red and white is crisp, classic and cheerful. Red with warm gold and brass feels rich and celebratory. Red and cream is soft and traditional, and red with deep green is a timeless, characterful combination. Against a red ground, a floral, stripe or heritage design feels warm and full of life.
Where red works
Red suits rooms you want to feel warm and characterful. In a dining room, a deep claret or burgundy feels elegant and full of occasion, especially by candlelight. In a living room or snug, red is cosy and enveloping. In a hallway, it makes a bold, welcoming first impression. And in a cloakroom, a rich red is a wonderful place to be daring. Red's warmth makes it a lovely choice for a cosy, low-light room.
Choosing your red
Because we print to order, the shade is entirely yours — and red reads very differently by daylight and lamplight, so it's worth choosing carefully. Every design comes in three finishes: Traditional (150gsm, super-matte), Heavy-Grade (300gsm) and Removable peel-and-stick (180gsm), all printed on FSC-approved, PVC- and VOC-free paper.
Order a sample and see your red in your own light, morning and evening, before you commit.
Not at all — red is far more versatile than its reputation suggests. A deep claret or burgundy feels rich and sophisticated rather than loud, while a soft terracotta is warm and gentle. Used on the right wall and in the right shade, red brings warmth and character rather than overwhelming a room.
What rooms suit red wallpaper?
Dining rooms feel elegant and full of occasion, living rooms and snugs feel cosy and enveloping, hallways make a bold welcome, and cloakrooms are a wonderful place to be daring. Red's warmth suits any room you want to feel characterful and inviting.
What colours go with red wallpaper?
Red pairs beautifully with crisp white for a classic look, warm gold and brass for richness, soft cream for a traditional feel, and deep green for a timeless combination. Because we print to order, you can tune the exact red to suit your scheme.
Can I get any design in a custom red?
Yes — that's the beauty of printing to order. You choose the exact red you want, from a soft terracotta to a deep claret, and any of our designs can be made in it, made especially for you.
This wallpaper is just gorgeous! I used the one that requires glue and it was super easy to i stall. One roll was enough for a 6’ wide laundry closet with 7’5” ceilings. Even on our orange peel walls it set beautifully. I did this behind our new washer dryer set up in our laundry closet with white oak cabinets and it’s perfect! Highly recommend!
Truly love this wallpaper. Looks amazing in both our bathroom (the original project) and as an accent in the back of a cabinet (what we did with the extra). Everyone who sees it comments on how classy and beautiful it is. For these reasons five stars!
However I do want to call out two concerns:
1. The online "calculator" on the site recommend nine roles, which seemed excessive for our less than 100 sq ft bathroom. I even reached out to support to double check and they said to go by the calculator. I'm glad I didn't because I ended up ordering five roles and only needing 4. I will say returning the 5th role was a pretty smooth process, so kudus to Claret and Key for that.
2. Strangely the "autumn" color with pale nutmeg background reads more green than brown in certain light. With bright overhead light it comes across as the soft brown we intended, but in natural light it reads much more green. Not anything to terrible just unexpected.
Beautiful paper! Our decorator commented on its quality and how nice and easy it was to work with compared to other wallpaper he had used in the past. Thank you.
So in love with this wallpaper. We wanted a cosy cottage bedroom vibe so we chose the Eloise. It’s such a pretty design that completely transformed the space. The wallpaper is such great quality .We have very uneven walls but didn’t have any issues. Hanging it was a joy. Highly recommend.
We used Blanche to paper some built in wardrobes that double up as room dividers. It was brilliant to be able to sample several background colour options and we are delighted with the finished result
Thank you. Fabulous Wallpaper.
Great quality paper and easy to hang.
The design is so rich in colour and adds such decadence to my dressing area. Now for the finishing touches.
Poor customer service - rolls are only available as one off 10m runs, so if you need 11m.. unfortunately you’ll be paying double for a second roll! Unless your walls are 8m or less, I’d avoid. Wrongly assumed Claret & Key would be slightly more compassionate about the situation and even help with a slightly discounted second roll, considering we only needed 1m. How wrong we were!
Store owner replied:
Hi Emily,
I'm sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the service.
We sell our wallpaper by the roll, and we are unable to manufacture shorter rolls. This will be the same for most manufacturers as 10m rolls are standard, and most rooms require more than 1 roll to complete the job.
Thanks,
Claret & Key
I really loved this paper and thought it would look nice in my attic space. Delighted with the end result. Great service, excellent quality of paper and it really transforms the room. The eves are very low so the space was not utilised so making a feature with the wallpaper has created a cosy space to relax in. Thank you. M
Love this wallpaper. It’s just enough to show a statement but not so loud that it overpowers the space. Being able to pick the color is such a great thing also. You’re not stuck with 5 options so it can match your style and colors of your space. Would recommend to anyone looking for wallpaper. Very happy and my installer said its super easy to install this pattern.
This wallpaper is thick and sturdy. It’s very easy to work with and easy to apply. It was my first time hanging wallpaper and this paper was very forgiving. Great product!
