Enjoy the dark side of decorating this fall
How to incorporate dark tones into your home
Casual, comfortable and chic are the three Cs when it comes to decorating for the long winter ahead. Luckily there’s an emerging trend that caters to them. That’s why this week I’m taking you to the dark side of decorating.
With the weather turning, I’m feeling the need to add some deeper, darker colours and tones into my home to cosy it up and stay on trend. Dark colours give definition and punch to furniture, walls and floors.
Adding deeper tones into a medium or light interior is a nice way to add some drama to a room without introducing new or brighter colours. If this sounds like something you might want to hunker down with, check out my tips to go with deeper (and darker) trends with your decorating projects.
MAKE A BOLD COMMITMENT
If you love darker tones and colours, maybe you’re ready for a more serious commitment. Consider switching out permanent (or semi-permanent) elements to make dark colours foundational in your decorating scheme. Here’s how:
• Paint: A dark paint colour can make a room feel intimate and, if done right, can also make a room appear larger. Painting baseboards, window trims and crown mouldings in the same dark shade will create taller looking walls and reduce visual interruptions, ultimately enlarging the space.
• Upholstery fabrics: Adding a dark chair, headboard or ottoman inserts a nice hit of dark into a room. Choosing to upholster the largest furniture pieces in a deep, dark colour is more of a commitment. This look works best when the dark piece is on a dark floor — either darktone hardwood or carpet — to ensure the furnishing doesn’t feel too heavy in the space. Remember, good design is always darker on bottom, lighter on top.
• Kitchen and bathrooms: Black appliances in kitchens were a popular design trend in the 1980s and now they’re back, and part of a bigger trend to darker kitchen elements. Dark cabinetry, countertops, faucets and appliances create a sophisticated look, especially when the kitchen opens to another room (dining or living room) where the decor incorporates similarly deep colours.
KEEP YOUR FLIRT WITH THE DARK SIDE LIGHT
If you aren’t ready to commit, an easier way to incorporate this trend is with smaller touches. Here are three easy ways to add a touch of dark.
• Bedding: White seems to be the classic go-to when it comes to bed linens, but
lately I’ve started jonesing for dark colours. The top of bed (duvet, comforter, decorative pillows and throws) might match your room’s decor, but dark linens underneath can add an element of surprise that won’t change the overall look of your bedroom but will give you a taste of the trend. During winter, a quality dark flannel sheet adds cosiness and style.
• Curtain panels: Exchanging classic white drapery panels for a dark colour sharpens up the edges of the windows. Bonus: Drapes are a much less expensive way to add a stylish punch around windows compared to the trend to dark window frames (a more permanent commitment).
• Black dishes: Rule of thumb: Anything on the table that has traditionally been white can be black (think matte finishes in ceramic or pottery) for an easy way to get a sophisticated, chic tabletop look.
EASY WAYS TO GO DARK IN A SMALL SPACE
Think that dark colours can’t be used in small space? Sure, they can. The secret is to create impact with focal points in each room.
• Paint your fireplace mantel a dark colour. Choose a colour in your room’s decor and pick its darkest related shade on the fan deck.
• Upholster a headboard in black or navy. That hit of darkness will complement most any style of bedding (even crisp white) and draw attention.
• Add black hardware, lighting and a sink faucet to instantly give a bathroom vanity a sharp modern edge.