So Your Style Is: Darkly Romantic

What is darkly romantic? It’s a style that evokes overcast afternoons cocooned under heavy blankets perfumed with incense. Colors are deep and saturated and range from black and navy to silver and gold. Walls are adorned with moody art that sends your mind wandering, and the air seems full of secrets. Rooms are sensual — simple or luxuriant — and have a vibe that feels both soft and subtly dangerous.

Rich fabrics and textures are layered to create a decadent, introspective atmosphere. On the verge of beautiful melancholy, accents have an edge or otherworldly quality about them. Applying to many styles, from traditional to contemporary, low and lush shapes, ambient lighting and glints of mirror and metal create a darkly romantic environment that invites you to let go of pretense and relax into a daydream.

What it is not, however, is a Gothic macabre dungeon. Think sexy not scary, and intriguing not intimidating. It’s not about a theme so much as a feeling — a sultry, dark undertone to the everyday rooms you inhabit. So go ahead. Here’s how to get darkly romantic in your own home.

Why it works: Darkly romantic spaces envelop you in a feeling of mystique and elegance removed from the day-to-day challenges of the world. They embody a feeling of introspection and long-lost memories. It’s a misty-morning view of the world from a window framed in velvet curtains.

You’ll love it if … Your favorite time of the day is the dusk before nightfall, you’re entranced with shadows thrown by flickering candlelight, you read Pablo Neruda poetry and keep old love letters stashed for rainy day remembering. You have a slightly subversive side that plays well with your well-tailored exterior, and the thought of bold, bright colors or country cottage chic gives you the shivers.


Style tip: Choose a palette. A darkly romantic space relies on a foundation of deeply saturated colors that set the tone for the types of furnishings and accessories that will work best.

Although dark colors work the most magic, lighter tones, like the toffee shades chosen for the bedroom shown here, can also be effective when paired with darker tones from the same color family, such as espresso-colored wood or chocolate-tone side tables.

Once you’ve picked your base color — the starting point for your room — layer in furnishings, textiles and lighting from the same color family to achieve a calming, cocoon-like feel.

Here, the patterned rug adds interest while the moody lighting keeps it sexy.



Experiment: Go darkly romantic in subtle ways. Even a touch of noir can change the mood of a room. Try a lampshade with an unexpected interior print that leans to the left of sweetness. Here, the conservative exterior belies the prickly purple thistle inside.


Rose J'Adore Fine Art Print by A.F. Duealberi - $25Change your art. Start by changing like for like when it comes to art. Swap out prints or oil paintings of roses for haunting modern-day photographs of the blooms. Melancholy flowers are best in small bunches rather than on a gallery wall and can encourage a daydream-like feel in a space.



Languishing Drifters Giclee Print - $249Go bold with large-scale prints. Black canvas prints such as these add a touch of darkness. Instead of softly colored botanicals on a cream background, the giant sea creatures glow against a jet black backdrop, drawing you in with their dangerous and fluid shapes.


Style tip: Choose mirrors with a sense of past. Mirrors define the style of a room through their size, shape and patina. In a darkly romantic space, mirrors should feel like they’ve come from a bittersweet fairy tale.

Antiqued or distressed mirrors look as if they’ve seen a lifetime of reflections. Black dots, scratches and missing areas are all part of the charm. Mirrors that have lost their silver mercury coating or paint on the back have an almost surreal patina.

Foxed mirrors also are a beautiful choice for a darkly romantic style. Less intense than a distressed mirror, foxing is a “fogginess” that occurs in old mirrors when moisture gets between the mercury silvering and glass, causing reflections to appear in soft focus.



You can also have an antique-style mirror custom-made. Scour antique shops and flea markets for lovely old plaster and gilt frames that will give a mirror an instant sense of romantic history.

Most glass shops carry a selection of antique and distressed mirror glass that can be cut to fit a frame or application of your choosing.

Experiment: Try using distressed mirrors in an unlikely place, such as on this kitchen backsplash. It adds an unusual richness and dark romance in a place you’d least expect it.



Style tip: Dim the lights. Lighting changes the mood of a room more significantly than any other aspect. In a darkly romantic space the light is usually low and ambient, making everything seem more luxurious. Your choice of lighting should provide a warm glow that complements a burning fire or the flicker of candlelight. Putting your existing lights on a dimmer switch is a good place to start. Also ensure that your space has lighting options, such as table lamps, floor lamps and sconces, that allow you to control the ambiance.


Shadows on the ceiling and walls will transport you to another world as the shapes shift and move. While the Forms of Nature chandelier by Thyra Hilden and Pio Diaz may be a little too spooky for some, others will be transfixed by the way the tangled roots and branches cast 360-degree shadows. When hung in a room full of lush fabrics, sparkling crystal and deep, welcoming furnishings, this piece is truly transformative.


Experiment: Open-work light fixtures like the one pictured here are the best for casting shadows. For a bulb that faces downward, you should use a mercury-dipped bulb (available at the hardware store for about $5). They not only prevent you from having to stare into a bare bulb, they also force the light upward through the lamp and produce gorgeous shadows.


Style tip: Strike a match. I feel as if candles were created to set a romantic mood. Some of my fondest memories are of long, languid nights in Amsterdam spent listening to music by the light of a thousand candles. In my experience, Europeans always have a bag of tea lights at the ready for any sort of get-together. Every visit to a friend’s inevitably led to a glass of wine and the lighting of candles. Grouped together they are pure magic. Lining the windowsills, ledges and book shelves, they instantly make a room feel as if any secrets shared would be ones worth keeping.


Manzanita Candelabra, Silver - $99Though many people prefer LED candles for their longevity and for safety reasons, in my opinion nothing beats the flickering of a real candle. If you are concerned about the candle wax dripping onto surfaces, try drip-less candles or place them in candle holders, on trays or on top of place mats as a precaution.


Ceramic Matters Candleholder, Aloe - $899Look for candle holders that have a little edge to them, like the branch taper holder pictured or this ceramic white aloe.

Grouping pillar candles of different sizes and heights together in a low marble bowl or on top of a cake plate is also beautiful. The mass of flickering candles is stunning.



Experiment: Personally, I love the look of melted candle wax dripping down the sides of candles and pooling around the grouping. It’s a little medieval-castle, but that’s the beauty of it. Try massing candles together in a stone planter filled with an inch or so of sand to hold them in place. Let them drip, mix and do their thing. (I group pillars in an antique stone birdbath next to my fireplace hearth.) When the candles have finally burned down, replace them without removing the wax. Over time, when the wax gets too high or threatens to overflow whatever they are sitting in, clean out the wax and start anew.


Style tip: Sneak in a little serpent. The representation of a serpent adds a dark beauty to a room that images of other creatures simply cannot. A snake may strike fear or revulsion in many people, but in design they add a slightly subversive tone to a space because they are so unexpected and reaction to their image is always fairly strong.

This bronze serpentine sink from Kohler is a unique way of adding a darkly romantic touch to the bathroom, one of the most widely used rooms in the house. The delicate intertwined bodies are extraordinarily detailed and would be gorgeous paired with slate gray walls and, of course, candlelight.

Experiment: If you prefer your serpent a little less front and center, try serpent bookends. Nestled on a shelf, the silver form will be more sculptural than literal.


Style tip: Take it outside. A darkly romantic vibe isn’t just for the indoors. Create that edgy loveliness outside, where you can take advantage of the dusky night sky, crisp air and moonlight.

All of the indoor elements are equally as important outdoors. Whether your outdoor space is large or small, you can create an intimate space with a small bistro set nestled in a quiet corner. Add a few hanging lanterns, a plethora of candles and a couple of soft and lush throws so that you can wrap yourself in warmth should the night get too chilly.


Any space can be darkly romantic. What sets the style apart is the subtle feel of mystery and intrigue it provides. This outdoor room is a fantastic example with its dark paint color, billowy netting above the bed and setting among the greenery outdoors. It’s a room that invites naughtiness (as well as naps) and in the evening, a good dose of tea lights would turn the room into a sultry little version of heaven.


Experiment: Mix candles and candle holders on an outdoor table, low ledge or even in among the plants. Drape a few darkly colored blankets over your outdoor chairs and put some softly scented flowers in a few mismatched crystal vases on the tabletop. The romance comes from the setting — candles, textures, scents. The darkness comes from the night itself.

More: Houzz Quiz: What’s Your Decorating Style?

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