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22 Jun 14

Decorating on the dark side

Something got me in the mood to talk about decorating with dark colours. Time for me to get on my soap box but personally I think we’ve all become a little obsessed with creating bright and light living spaces and I think it’s worth considering how decorating can effect the mood of a room, not just the sense of light and space. White is associated with peace and purity but in my opinion can leave a room feeling harsh and chilly.

grey velvet sofa

I love the feeling of being enveloped by a room with dramatic dark walls. My bedroom is painted rich dark, sexy ‘Pelt‘ by Farrow and Ball. I chose to go dark in the bedroom because it’s a room I use at night (obviously!) so with light supplied by wall sconces it feel luxurious and cosy. In the morning the light bursts through the south facing windows, so it feels just as great to wake up in too.

I love dark painted walls for the drama, they feel moody, sophisticated, glamorous and often a little edgy. Never has it been more hip to go dark. But I appreciated it takes a big leap of faith and a lot of coats of paint if you change your mind, so here are a few tips to getting it right…

dark rooms

Contrary to popular opinion, dark painted walls can make your room feel bigger as they receed away from the eye. This is especially true if you choose a cool shade so opt for deep shades of grey, blue, green or purple if you don’t want the walls coming in on you.

Suzy Hoodless kensington town house

Suzy Hoodless kensington town house

Go for it everywhere! Oh yes, by that I mean ALL FOUR WALLS! The effect will seem timid and disjointed if only used on one wall, we’re going for maximum impact here. I like the idea of painting the skirting doors and architraves into the same wall colour as by blending in these details creates a more contemporary look. Be aware that if you are going to pick your woodwork in a lighter colour like white, they need to look pucker as they’ll really shout out in the scheme. If you’ve got rather ordinary off the shelf woodwork, blend away as you’ll only be drawing the eye to them. That goes for radiators too.

Punt sideboard by Nest.co.uk

Punt sideboard by Nest.co.uk

Dark painted rooms need to be jazzed up with contrasting light. So break up they walls with a collection of framed prints, colourful paintings or mirrors. A light floor will also bounce up the light.

47parkavenue.co.uk

Darkly decorated rooms come into their own at night, so you need to really consider the lighting. Avoid blanching it out with unsubtle overhead lighting and go or lots of lamps, walls lights and back lighting in cabinets and shelving. And by lots I mean lots and lots, and always with a dimmer switch!

Abigail Aherns Bedroom

Abigail Aherns Bedroom

Use a bright highlight. A punch of a bright colour, be it neon pink, citrus yellow, turquoise, lime or poppy red will really perk up an otherwise sombre colour scheme. A couple of cushions, a vase, a painting or big bunch of flowers will do the job.

Abigial Ahern by design sponge

Abigial Aherns home by design sponge

Paint the ceiling a softer shade. A brilliant white ceiling can look too stark so consider a soft light grey or stone colour. If you’re going for all out impact then paint the ceiling dark too.

A dark painted room is a great way to then highlight and pick out lovely architectural features, like an original sash window, cornice or an ornate fireplace all painted in a crisp white so you really pick them out against the dark colour.

Living room of home of photograher Graham Aitkin hughes

Living room of home of photographer Graham Aitkin-Hughes

Dark coloured walls love a bit if bling so add some metallic accessories, metal light fittings and mirrors for an air of elegance.

Bathroom at Holly-house.com

www.hollys-house.com

 

I got this great tip off Daniel Hopwood. If you paint your thoroughfares like hallway, corridors and landings dark, you’ll get a real heightened sense of brightness when you walk into a room decorated in light colours.

For more inspiration on creating this look, check out the blog of renowned interior designer Abigail Ahern who has this style of decorating tapped.

 

 

 

 

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comments

Becky - Pretty Dandy on 23.06.14

I love this post! I totally agree that bright and white has become something of a tyranny and doesn’t take into account the uses of a room. I painted my tiny downstairs toilet dark blue because I love the shade and wanted the little space to feel dramatic and full of personality. Love this!

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 23.06.14

Thanks for the post Becky. I love the sound of your downstairs loo! The smallest room in our house can definitely take the boldest colours- bet it looks fabulous.

Reply
AvelereDesign on 23.06.14

Great Inspiration! Love the photos! 🙂

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 23.06.14

Thanks for the comment. Great room schemes aren’t they?! I of course can’t take the credit for them but some talented designers out there

Reply
Emma on 24.06.14

I love dark colours, but haven’t had the courage to use them yet…one day!

Reply
Found This Painted That on 25.06.14

great inspiration pics! I still tend to lean towards bright, but these rooms are all so beautiful!

Reply
Sophie Robinson on 29.06.14

I look forward to the post when you do!

Reply

Pingback: Dark Green Inspiration : M.A.S. Fashion

Sarah Jones on 23.09.20

Hey
I am a new comer in this world of Internet and Blogging and very much eager to stay connected to your “DECORATING ON THE DARK SIDE” as it helps me a lot to understand this.

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According to some recent research 24% of us look t According to some recent research 24% of us look to friends and family for design Inspiration, 21% to makeover tv shows and 18% to instagram. But while it’s great gathering ideas and opinions, ultimately creating a stylish home has to come from you if you are going to love the home you live in. The extraordinary Colour Psychology framework helps you unlock the colour palette that is perfect for you and gives you the superpower to create rooms that feel as good as they look. Suddenly other peoples opinions, trends, and influencers no longer hold sway. Creating a home is deeply personal, an exploration of what makes YOU happy. For me it’s all about the pattern, texture and plenty of intense colour. Tasteful grey interiors leave me feeling flat, I love the energy of a colour clash! If you want to understand your relationship with colour and how to design schemes that affect your emotions in a positive way, this is the last weekend to enrol in my online course, Colour Psychology for interiors. You can find the link to learn more up in my bio. It’s my most popular course to date and has transformed the way thousands of people feel about their interior spaces. 
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Did you know 50% of people use social media to fin Did you know 50% of people use social media to find inspiration on how to decorate their living rooms? I’m definitely one of them! That’s according to a study by Sky Glass, the streaming TV from @sky_uk . I’ve been investigating the latest interior trends we are lusting after, and how our living rooms are changing- as we say goodbye to three piece suites, and hello to sustainable vintage furniture, statement rugs, wall prints and cosy-ing up the sofa with throws and cushions. As you can see I’m all over the trends! If you head over to the @sky_uk channel today, I’ll also be answering some interior design questions all about styling your TV. Would love to hear what you think are the living room trends to watch. 
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To learn more about the autumn personality, hop on up to my bio and click the link to be taken to the blog. And you can sign up to my FREE webinar I’m hosting next Wednesday if you’d like to learn more about this powerful framework. 
Meanwhile have a gorgeous weekend! 
📷 @aluncallenderphoto Styling @katemcphee 

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Come and join my FREE webinar on Colour Psychology Come and join my FREE webinar on Colour Psychology next Wednesday 25th at 7pm GMT 🤩 hop on up to the link in my bio @sophierobinsoninteriors to register.
My brilliant online course, Colour Psychology for Interiors, is open for enrolment this month, so if you fancy finding out a bit more about this utterly game changing framework I’d love to have you join. It’s SO MUCH more than ‘ red is energising’, ‘blue is calming’ stuff you’ve all heard before. This is a deep dive into discovering how colours work, how to harmonise them and discovering your own unique and authentic style. Only then can you create a home you live and one that supports you emotionally. I LOVE teaching this stuff because the feedback I get from students is mind blowing! Don’t take my word for it, sign up for the free webinar today! 😍 and if you’ve already done my course, please share in the comments below what you loved about it. 

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So proud of mr best mate @sophieabbottartist who o So proud of mr best mate @sophieabbottartist who opens her house this weekend to showcase her artwork in her home as part of Brightons artists open houses. She’s always been a creative whirlwind and keeps the joy of colour alive in her paintings inspired by the sea, and the local woodlands that surround her home in Brighton. For Sophie, colour gives her life, she’s the ultimate joy monger and I’m so blessed to have her as my side kick in life. If you get a chance today, pop round to heed for a bolt if the feel good vibes

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