Time to embrace the dark side
As the clocks go back, inky tones can produce a calm sophistication indoors. Jessica Doyle explains how to get the look
The clocks go back on Sunday, signalling British summertime’s official end, and the start of winter hibernation at home. The days will be shorter, and evenings will be darker – but dark doesn’t necessarily mean gloomy. The temptation in a northern climate may be to go Scandinavian and maximise light in the home with white walls and pale-coloured furniture, but an alternative trend that has been building pace in recent years is to embrace the darkness and create warm, cosseting interiors with inky tones. Done right, it’s a sure-fire way to create an elegant look.
Abigail Ahern, an interior designer, was one of the first to go to the dark side, and her website (abigailahern. com) is packed with inspiration. “Dark interiors just look and feel more interesting, and wrap you up in sophistication,” she says. “Many people worry that dark colours may appear depressing. I happen to think they are calming, super-relaxing and make you feel snuggled and cocooned.”
What’s more, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found for anyone considering this look, both online and on the high street.
Paint it black
Dark walls seem to some a curious choice in a country starved of natural light – but, says Kate Watson-smyth, a design blogger of Mad About the House (madaboutthehouse.com), going dark can be the clever option. “If you have a small dark room, painting it white isn’t going to give you anything other than a small dark room painted white,” she says. “White needs natural light to bounce off and do its job of lightening; without that, it will just look drab and dreary.” Her advice is to paint skirting boards, picture rails and radiators to match the walls for a streamlined look: “If you want to keep it a little lighter, do the ceiling and above the rail in a chalky white shade. That will blur the edges of the ceiling and the wall and make the room feel bigger. Painting the skirting boards the same as the walls makes them look longer and therefore the ceiling higher.”
Kayleigh Whybrow, colour technician at Johnstone’s Paint, agrees: “Dark colours recede. When a room is painted a dark colour, the colour will actually make the room look larger, rather than bringing the walls in.”
Watson-smyth recommends Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe, which she has used in her sitting room, but for those shy of using dark colour in a living space, Joa Studholme, their international colour consultant, suggests using black paint in the hallway instead.
“Black halls are incredibly fashionable,” she says. “They not only create impact on arrival, but result in the sensation of emerging from a dark, confined space into volume and light in the rooms off it.”
Go gothic
Black walls aren’t for everyone, but dark wallpaper and fabrics with pattern and print are a good alternative. Design duo Timorous Beasties are known for their edgy, slightly gothic illustrative prints, used on everything from wallcoverings and furniture to cushions and carpets. “There has been an increased demand for darker colours, especially since the comeback of grey in interiors,” says co-founder Paul Simmons, who also points out that this trend can have a practical aspect as well as an aesthetic one: “You don’t have to worry as much about scuff marks as on a crisp white wall or a linen sofa.”
Crepuscular colours can be found across the board on furniture and accessories – Heal’s, Love Your Home, Neptune and Arlo & Jacob have plenty of options – but to avoid an overly matt, dusty effect, go for luxe textures. Wool and velvet are good choices for upholstery, and anything with a touch of sheen will lift the look. Mirrored surfaces are also key in a dark room – on tables, sideboards, chests and accessories, as well as on the wall.
Mix it up
Only an emo teenager would want a completely dark room. Adding white creates sharp contrast, while metallic accents will up the glamour factor, and complementary colour will intensify the intimate ambience. “Dark walls are a great opportunity to play with colour on upholstery and other furniture,” says Abigail Boura, creative director of furniture brand Love Your Home and former style editor at Elle Decoration. “Jewel colours work especially well: teal, claret, deep forest green and pink.”
Splashes of bold, bright colour – even neon, for the brave – will make a strong statement, but cool pastel shades also contrast beautifully with darker tones. Blush pink – a trend that doesn’t appear to be fading away – is a good foil for charcoal grey.
Another trend that has migrated from the catwalk to the sofa is dark floral motifs: think 17th-century Dutch still-life paintings. Farrow & Ball and House of Hackney are good options for wallpaper, Ellie Cashman does exquisite papers, fabrics and cushions, while H&M and House of Fraser have bed linen covered.