Dare to go dark: how and why to use dark colours in decorating
It's very common to be nervous about committing to a paint colour, and a lot of people I talk to are especially worried about going too dark. Will it be too much? Will it make the room look small?
I love a dark interior, so, I'm going to try and convince you to join me in embracing the dark side...
The cosy factor
Paint the ceiling dark like @theknottedtouch
Dark walls are fantastic for any space you want to feel cosy and calm, so it's ideal for bedrooms or living rooms. At night our bedroom is so dark, and coupled with a black out blind I've never slept so well. Cosy ambient lighting also looks even moodier against a dark backdrop.
If you're feeling extra brave, painting the ceiling too will bring higher ceilings lower and will make the room feel even more cosier and intimate.
Will it make the room look smaller?
We went dark with the shortest walls in this living room.
Using paint to change the dimensions of a room deserves it's own blog post (watch this space), but if you want to play it safe and go with a feature wall, always paint the shorter wall (or walls) in the room. It will bring the wall forwards visually, thus balancing out the shape of the room.
A common fear with painting dark is that it will make the room look smaller - however that's not always the case. Cool dark colours tend to recede, so if you're painting a wall dark, the boundaries of the room can actually shrink away from you giving the impression of a bigger space.
Furniture and accessories
@patirobins amazing dramatic styled dark walls
Dark walls are the perfect backdrop to furniture, accessories and plants, helping them stand out. You can fully succumb to the gothic side and go for dark and dramatic furniture, or keep it playful with colour pops.
Mirrored doors and white furnishings cut through the dark wall colour.
For this bedroom, I wanted a balance - at night I wanted it to be dark and cocooning and lighter in the day. I did this by bringing in this lamp shade from Ikea which looks like a fluffy cloud, and keeping all the furniture and accessories light. I purposefully chose huge mirrored doors for the wardrobe to further bounce the light around the room during the day.
Choosing the right finish
More dark gorgeousness from @mydarkhome_
Picking the right finish is just as important as picking the colour itself, as the finish can completely change how the paint absorbs light. A higher sheen paint will have a more shiny finish, and dark paint colours tend to look better with less sheen.
Finishes with low sheen don't reflect much light, instead it diffuses light and gives a softer effect. But - one thing to note is that more matte paint finishes mark more easily, especially with dark paint. So whilst I love our bedroom walls you'll see me cringing when anyone or anything touches the walls!
That's it, hopefully I've given you some confidence to go dark with your walls! Still not sure? If you’d like my help with your next project, check out my services to see how we can work together.