You’re going to say I sound like a broken record, but I really value the capacity to design a room that’s dark and moody. Since it’s Halloween next week, there’s no better time to discuss dark and moody rooms, right?
Call it bold, call it cozy, call it crazy or too dark, I really think that having at least one or two rooms in your house that is dark and moody is really great for those more intimate moments.
So many people are afraid of dark rooms. They fear the room will look too small, too dark, that the light won’t shine through. While this is true to some degree, we forget that there are occasions when we crave cozy, small and dark nooks. I wouldn’t necessarily suggest going dark in every room, but a dark room definitely has its place. Call it your room for a rainy day.
Which rooms should you choose to go dark? Well, there is no right answer, but a good rule of thumb is: which rooms do you use most at night or where do you go to relax? Here are just a few options.
1. Offices or libraries (for those lucky enough to have either or both) are great contestants… Those rooms are often used occasionally to read a book or get a little extra work done at night. These activities call for dark walls and besides, bookcases always look better when painted in a dark glossy colour.
2. Powder room or bathroom: another small room for occasional use. If it’s a powder, it will be used by guests. You don’t want it to look sterile. You want them to be transported to another world. If it’s your own bathroom, think about the times you’ll want to take a long relaxing bath. Better to be in a cozy dark place no?
3. Bedroom: This one is a little obvious, a bedroom is used for sleeping, and people normally sleep in the dark. Do the math. Besides, the contrast between dark walls and crisp white bedding is simply sensational.
4. Kitchen: some people tend to spend more time in the kitchen in the morning, others at night. If you’re one of the latter, there’s nothing more glamorous than cooking in a warm, inviting and slightly glamorous kitchen. No one needs a laboratory white kitchen at night. Think dark warm tones, glossy finishes, add some music (jazz maybe?), a bottle of wine, and a handsome man, and you’ve got yourself a romantic cooking date!
5. Dining room: You mostly entertain at night no? And when you entertain, you want the mood to be intimate and cozy yes? In that case, moody is the way to go. Don’t you remember when in the 90’s everyone had a burgundy red dining room? While we’ve moved on from that trend, it conveys the same idea.
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I love it for a formal dining room, since it’s most likely to be used at night. Also great in a library, surrounded with beautiful books!
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My apartment is dark and moody.
we have a lot of old furniture and we found that art often looks better on dark walls so we painted the living room a dark brown. I love the relaxing effect :)
Terrific post on truly wonderful spaces. I once did a dark black/green “evening” room and it was terrific for gathering after dinner and for quiet.
Best!Shannon
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a delicious confection of dark rooms. That underwater lavatory! The bedroom! The first and second unnumbered rooms!
I’ve gone dark several times – black, blackberry, dark grey, and every single time I’ve loved it. I loved it when the natural light is good and when it’s not so good. I loved it at night and during the day. Dark rooms are exciting and restful to live in (and I know that’s a contradiction!).
I’m just doing a house now, and you can bet some at least of the rooms will be moody and atmospherically dark.
I love the series you do here – some of the best in Blogland, in my opinion. Thank you for them.
PP
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