HOW TO DECORATE A DARK ROOM
That's simple, so you paint a dark room white, don't you?
You may have had a dark room in their house at some stage. That room that doesn’t get much sun or light. I remember my grandma had a dark room in her house. To me it was always cold too. But it was the room that housed her record player where I played ABBA and found chocolates hidden in her cabinets. So for me, that lured me in! I never really thought much about why it was dark (and cold). I suspect that may be in part due to her heavy curtains that were often closed and the small room having too much heavy furniture.
It's a question I’ve been asked a number of times. How should you decorate a dark room? Do you embrace the dark or try to find the light?
Some ideas on how to decorate a dark room
You paint it white, don’t you? This is often the first reaction to a dark room. It really depends. If it’s a room that doesn’t get natural light (think internal room or one that is south facing) white paint alone won’t solve it. Actually, using white paint, can make the room appear cold and grey. Especially, if the white paint is a cooler tone (see my post ‘Why my yoga studio felt cold’). If you are keen to go white, try using samples of warm toned whites on your wall and watching the colours change during the day.
Use shiny surfaces. Consider using mirrors and shiny objects in your room to break the darkness. They will reflect light into the room. Mirrored and metal furniture can also help create interest. Wallpaper can also come in shiny patterns which also helps create reflective surfaces.
Let there be light. Use light in various forms. If you are trying to get more natural light, consider ways to do this. Can you lessen the window treatments? Or cut down excess branches away from your windows? And then there is electric lighting. Can you install more lights in the room to make it brighter? Consider lights on walls, table lamps and floor lighting too.
Lighten the load. Look at the colour and heaviness of your furniture. Darker furniture, heavy rugs and bold art work will absorb the light whereas lighter object will reflect the light. (I knew year 9 physics would one day be useful!). These items are better suited to rooms that have more light (unless you are wanting the room to feel moody and darker).
Embrace the dark side. So you could just join Darth Vader on this one (for Star Wars fans). Having a dark room isn’t a bad thing. Decorated well, it can feel very cosy, moody and cocooning. I think embracing the moodiness of a room is a great option. Look for paints in a colour that are a bit darker. But keep in mind that a paint will look darker on all walls in a room. And of course, you can still use the tips above such as adding more lighting, to create an interesting room.
Have a dark room? Not sure where to start? For help on getting clear on how you want your home to feel, please contact me and to receive helpful tips and inspiration direct to your email inbox, please sign-up to receive my “All Things Interiors” newsletter.
