Just the words “Chinese Lacquer Red ” conjure up for me romantic visions of Mandarin silk jackets; Louboutin soles; Diana Vreeland’s legendary New York apartment; a sexy, sexy red lipstick; my most popular needlepoint color in my shop, Papillon; 1930’s Oriental movies and a board on my Pinterest page, “In Love with Red,” which well expresses how I feel about this divine color.

Obviously I’m smitten! It’s very much a part of my wardrobe, too. Whenever I feel a need for a pick-up, I put on RED. It’s also very flattering to the complexion; every female I know looks good in this scrumptious color…

So when a Parterre Bench client and I were discussing details, I was thrilled when he mentioned wanting his bench painted in “Chinese Lacquer Red.” Yes, it’s a daring color, but good practice for shaking things up. And the POP it provides will make you so glad you considered it. As an example, here it plays off the plant material in a compact, well-conceived veggie garden (the owner’s choice for the location). With  tomatoes and accent plants (i.e. Amaranth “Love Lies Bleeding”) offering their red notes, the Parterre Bench is right at home.

And just to make the point of the versatility of this color…and how well the Parterre Bench design complements other striking elements…I’m showing it also in two very different locations. Here,  as part of an outside dining/formal barbecue area, the Bench makes the point that it’s not JUST for gardens!

My favorite choice…I couldn’t have planned this any better if I’d tried…the Chinese Lacquer Red Bench accenting an Asian-designed pond.

Introduce some red into your life…and take a seat on the Parterre Bench. Stay tuned for the next color selection in the Bench’s fall wardrobe.

Photo Credit for All Images, Maaike Bernstrom.