What Colors Go With Burgundy Curtains?

Burgundy curtains add richness to any space as long as the colors you pair with them speak nicely rather than "argue." Choosing the right compatible cool, warm or neutral shades to go with burgundy, however, is at least partly about juggling the room's purpose with your personal color and style preferences.

Any room where relaxation is key -- a bedroom or bathroom, for example -- benefits from cool, restful color. Complementary light green or blue-green walls balance the warmth of surrounding wine-red curtains and matching bedding or bath linens. To keep this color pairing from appearing dated, especially if you opt for a dark forest green, mix fabric prints, such as small polka dots and wide stripes with midsize geometric shapes; blending different sized patterns in similar hues shows design boldness that comes across as smartly modern.

When you're going for a "now" look, burgundy curtains can work against your efforts to update the space, especially in an old home with abundant dark wood features. Freshen the room with plenty of white or off white in the area rug, upholstery, curtain tiebacks, topper and sheers layered underneath. Painting wood trim, paneling and furniture a milky or ashen shade sends a modern message. Dot the room with burgundy accessories, so that the window treatments don't appear out of place, and add a little black for high-impact, almost-always trendy contrast.

Wake up a tired kitchen or family room with additional warm, stimulating color. Golden-yellow walls won't be ignored and help offset or emphasize burgundy curtains. Pull even more reds in with jazzy art or a faux brick backsplash or real brick feature wall. Avoid over-the-top bright orange and instead introduce cayenne or burnt orange dishware, sunny tulip or lily flower arrangements or spice-tone, striped or mottled yellow, red and orange pendant lights for autumn orchard appeal.

In the color world, burgundy is sort of the warm, welcoming kid who plays well with almost everyone, particularly the neutral crowd. By keeping everything interesting with texture and sheen, dark red won't get lost in such an earthy palette. Inject rich browns in the form of gleaming walnut or ebony-stained wood furniture and tanned-leather-colored textured paint. If your home's neutral tones include various grays, continue the flow with mushroom or greige -- gray-beige -- upholstery in nubby-tweed to offset silky window treatments or metallic-silver-fleck wallpaper to counter natural linen or cotton curtains.