Don’t be afraid of dark colors – While often times dark colors can be perceived to make a room look small or uninviting, there is an upside. It is true that dark colors will absorb more light than bright light ones. So a room with dark walls will reflect less of the light coming in. However it can make a space look more intimate and can add drama to it. It also can make the walls less refined and make the space actually appear larger. So the walls disappears into the dark color. The picture below shows a bedroom that received a treatment of the ‘dark side’. The first picture shows the room with beige carpet and white walls. Nothing wrong with it except that is was so boring, it would put any guest to sleep regardless the time of day. The design solution to this room was to bring visual interest through texture and patterns and a dark rich color scheme with greys, blacks and natural wood tones. The high gloss wood floor got accented with a chevron patterned wool rug. The walls received a satin sheen dark anthracite wall color with a hint of blue and red in it. The bed with its large grey headboard brings drama to the room and leaves enough contrast to the walls for a great impact. To lighten up the space the designer Helen Bonello-Strauss added a large mirror to bounce off some light on the far wall. Instead of traditional table lamps she opted for bubble chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The downward pointing light works great as reading light. The bedding picks up the chevron pattern in the rug and carries the design theme further. While the room shows drama and strong dark tones is offers a cozy and warm appeal through the use of wood and fabrics. It is a great way to showcase your dark side while staying in style.

A boring room lacking identity and interest. Its the perfect blank canvas to do something stunning with it.

The dark color gives the room some drama while the lighting and the textures provide enough contrast for great visuals.