How to plan and style your space with dark colors
Adding pop of color is the easiest way to upgrade any space. Dark colored walls or furniture can transform the way a room looks. When it comes to using darker paint colors, many of us are skeptical. What if it looks too dark and dull? What if the room ends up looking small? What if it causes visual clutter once the furniture is added? These are great questions. Choosing darker colors is definitely a bold decision but when done right, it will give your room a personality.
How and where to add color?
Adding color through walls
Most common way to add color in a room is by creating an accent wall. For spaces with multiple dark walls, use lighter furniture, plants, art work, rugs and decor objects to create a balance. For colors like charcoal black, limit the use to one room and transition to lighter tones for other rooms to keep a good visual balance. Test the paint color and finish first. Different paint finishes have different visual effects. As an alternative to paint, you can also add color by using wallpapers or by adding tiles.
Adding color through furniture and decor
Subtle way to introduce color in a space is by adding colored furniture and decor. For smaller rooms with limited natural light, adding color through furniture and decor can be a good alternative. Adding color through Rugs, cushions, curtains and plants alone will make a big impact.
Dining area 1: Adding color through dark walls and furniture
Dining area 2: Adding color through furniture and decor
How to create a balance?
Balance is the key to ace dark decor. Darker color palettes need contrasting colors, soft textures and materials balance the look. Some of our go to materials to balance dark shades are warm wood, rattan, polished brass. For fabrics, we love the depth and drama created by velvet, linen, and leather. Good amount of natural light is always a plus for pulling dark colors well. If there isn’t enough natural light, think of adding artificial light that would define the darker areas to create a cohesive environment.
Design & style your space with 3 quick tips
Dark decor and dark wall
Styling with dark colored objects on dark background is a great way to create depth and an eclectic vibe. For example- A charcoal grey wall paired with black and white painting or deep green wall with greenish-black furniture. You can experiment with styling to create color combinations that make your space feel most comfortable and stylish.
Neutral and contrasting color decor for dark wall
Most commonly paired with dark walls, neutral colored decor is the easiest way to create visual balance. Materials like glass, lighter colored wood, light paint colors for accessories, warm, subtle fabrics or metals would be in your material palette if you like neutral décor on dark walls. If you like adding more color, contrasting colored furniture and decor stand out on dark walls. Once you decide on the wall color, you can mix and match pieces from your palette to create the look that is most suitable for your room.
Dark decor for light colored walls
Don’t want to paint your walls dark just yet? A great way to add color to your space is through furniture, curtains, cushions, rugs, fixtures, art work and big décor pieces. This way you can play with just the right amount of color you desire for your space. You can also DIY this by painting your large furniture pieces, changing fixtures/hardware to darker colors or by just adding some art work to complete the look.
Our picks for darker paint colors from Benjamin Moore
Shop products curated by Dwellistic that pair well with dark decor
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