Image copyright Clair Strong Interior Design
Dark rooms feel small, gloomy and oppressive, right? Actually, that’s wrong. Deep, saturated colours like muted grey, navy, earthy green, burgundy and black can look cool, sophisticated and very dramatic.
For years it’s been about all-white spaces in home design. These spaces are light, airy and safe. They look fabulous and pristine but maybe it’s time for a change. If you want to inject a little excitement and drama into your space, then dark colours are the perfect choice.
Dark colours are bang on trend at the moment. They’re being used everywhere from the urban loft to the country cottage and the suburban terraced house. There are limitless ways to incorporate them into your home design so if you’re tempted to come over to the dark side, here are my tips:
Pick the Right Room
Your teenager’s bedroom isn’t the only place where dark walls work. Dark hues make any space instantly more cosy, intimate and inviting. This is perfect for living rooms, bedrooms and even bathrooms but perhaps not so ideal in the home office.
Lighting Matters
There’s no way around it; dark colours can make a small room look even smaller. To avoid accidentally creating a pokey bear cave, let in lots of natural light. Natural light makes even the smallest space feel airier. If natural light isn’t available, use artificial lighting to create a similar effect.
Balance and Contrast
Home design is all about balance, and contrast makes a space interesting. Balance dark walls with lighter accessories to really make an impact. The lighter accessories will pop against the dark walls, and the dark hues will look especially theatrical against the lighter tones.
Only Paint One Wall
Feature walls are a great way to test-run a new colour. And one dark wall can look just as fabulous as four dark walls. If you want to keep a little lightness in the space, this is your best option. Alternatively, you could paint dark colours in alcoves and behind shelving, or use dark hues below the dado rail and light colours above, or pick out all the architectural details like skirting boards and coving in white.
So, what do you think? Will you be trying out a dark colour scheme any time soon?
