How to use ketchup-coloured paint in any room in your home

This new brand collaboration between Lick and Heinz has resulted in a tasty paint colour. Here's how it came about 

Serving suggestion: Immerse the kitchen in a total tomato ketchup theme by colour drenching walls and cabinetry.

Things are getting saucy in the world of home interiors with Heinz celebrating tomato ketchup as a decorating option to indulge its deep red yumminess without a plate of chips in sight.

According to Thiago Rapp, Head of Heinz Communications and Brand Build, it came about because “it’s no secret that people love the taste, so we felt it was time to celebrate the love of this iconic sauce like never before and give ketchup lovers the chance to bring the unmistakable colour of Heinz Tomato Ketchup into their homes”.

Partnering with award-winning sustainable paint brand Lick, known for its pigment-rich colours, the ripe tomato shade, Red HTK 57, is now off the table and onto the walls.

Heinz and Lick's Red HTK57 is an interior matt paint suitable for walls, furniture and even radiators.

It’s a colour to positively impact our feelings, according to Tash Bradley, Lick’s interior design and colour psychologist. “It’s the first colour we see and feel, stimulating a visceral physical response,” she says.

“We associate the colour with the ripeness or sweetness of natural foods, which can subconsciously trigger our appetites, as well as a desire to chat, making it a firm favourite for social spaces such as kitchens and dining rooms, the very places you’d find a Heinz ketchup bottle.”

It’s good timing for a launch as red makes a dramatic comeback in décor, having loitered on the design sidelines since the trend 20 years ago for slathering chimney breasts in red paint.

Sophie Conran's Coco Sofa.

Just this spring, Milan Design Week saw Louis Vuitton touting the unripe tomato-hued Bina sofa and chair, while Sophie Conran has come out with a bold red and white striped sofa: The Coco revives the Habitat look of the 1980s, when broad stripes were in vogue for seating. Luxury napery house Summerill & Bishop’s red and white striped tablecloth is a covetable item to request from Santa (a more affordable option for €20 is the Helen James design from Dunnes Stores).

But red can be a tricky choice as anyone who has taken a gamble on a red lipstick or nail polish knows. Orange reds can cast a yellowish tone to the skin; crimson a ghostly pallor. “We’ve designed Red HTK 57 with a dose of black pigment to tone down any intensity and give people the confidence to use it in a variety of different ways in the home,” Tash says.

“From colour drenching all four walls and your ceiling, to introducing it as an accent colour on chairs or tables, Red HTK 57 will bring energy and warmth into your space.

“It symbolises excitement, courage, strength, energy and warmth. When red is used in the right proportions, it really commands attention and makes an impact.”

If that sounds a bit too intense, Tash suggests the alternative softer approach of accenting. “We never see colour in isolation, so when red is used as an accent colour against softer tones, it really stands out. We’ve softened the liveliest qualities of red with black, yellow and blue pigments so it doesn’t overwhelm your space.

Farrow & Ball’s Romesco.

“A kitchen cabinet or dining chairs would look incredible in Red HTK 57. To really tie the colour into your home, I’d suggest matching a few pieces around the room. This will create a cohesive look.”

Just 570 tins were launched — there’s still availability from Lick.com — and this matt interior paint retails at £45 for 2.5 litres. While it doesn’t ship outside Britain, there are other brands ripe for picking to give a flavour of the shade.

Romesco by Farrow & Ball

Culinary connotations also inspired this shade in collaboration with American fashion designer Christopher John Rogers. It’s a rich and brilliant red evocative of the classic Spanish sauce.

With pale blue accents, try it as a backdrop for mid-century furniture.

Moulin Rouge by Acres Hall

A subtle grey undertone gives this one a slightly muted complexion. Use in dimly lit spaces for a relaxed belle époque feel.

Rothko Red by Fleetwood

For contemporary art fans, get the Tate Modern installation feel with a deep brooding wine red inspired by the abstract expressionist artist.

Curator Paints Merrion Square red.

Merrion Square by Curator Paints

Think hues of slightly under-ripe tomatoes, not for the faint-hearted though as it’s vibrant and attention-grabbing.

Atomic Red by Little Greene

Another one for pairing with blue, this bright red filters from strawberry to tomato depending on the light and is now officially vintage having been around since the 1970s.

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