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What Goes With Dark Walls?

http://www.decor-ideas.org 12/24/2014 08:14 Decor Ideas 

Dark walls, from inky blue to charcoal and black, are refined and dramatic — but decorating around them without making your space feel too dark can be tricky. If you’ve been thinking of painting one or more walls a deep, dark hue, these ideas for color and decor pairings should help.

Beach Style Dining Room by Corine Maggio Natural Designs
Natural wood. Natural wood, whether in a mirror frame, rustic tabletop or chair, helps lighten up dark walls while also emphasizing their richness. You can’t go wrong with a driftwood or barn wood mirror, a farmhouse table or bentwood chairs.

Contemporary by Ingrid Rasmussen Photography
Sculptural shapes. Place anything colorful or white in front of a dark wall, and your eye will be immediately drawn to its contours. Try placing a group of pottery pieces on a console or mantel. Or highlight the shape of an unusual table or chair by positioning it in front of a deep, dark wall.

Transitional Entry by Claire Stevens Interior Design
Green plants. Potted plants and indoor trees look even lusher when placed in front of a dark wall. The dark color recedes into the background, creating the feeling of having a mini forest in the room instead of a few plants. Bonus style points if your plants have a sculptural shape, like the topiaries shown here.

Large artwork. A single piece of oversize art hung on a dark wall has the most impact — even more than a salon-style grouping. The drama of a deep wall color draws the eye. This works especially well with artwork with a large white mat and a slim black frame.


Contemporary Bedroom by i3 design group
White. If you feel at all unsure about which direction to go in with the other elements in your dark painted room, choose white — it always works. In this bedroom a charcoal wall is set off by a grouping of wall-mounted plants on white bases, white bedding and white window treatments.


Contemporary Bedroom by Honey Bee Interiors
Pale, watery hues. Soft and ethereal, pale aqua, mint, champagne and silvery gray bring lightness to a room with dark walls. Try these watercolor-inspired hues in bedding, a throw or pillows for an elegant feel.

Eclectic Bedroom by Louise de Miranda
Rich mustard and teal. These hues complement deep blue, gray or even dark chocolate walls by bringing in the colors of fall. Just a small touch of mustard, teal or both hues will do — try a throw, pillow covers or curtains.


Eclectic Powder Room by BGDB Interior Design
Wild card pairing: brights. A flash of hot pink, neon yellow or vibrant turquoise is daring — and exciting! Brights work best with black or charcoal; adding these bold hues to a room painted another dark color (like navy or forest green) is riskier. Test out a fun color pairing with a low-cost addition like hand towels or a cluster of bright vases.


Contemporary Bedroom by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Mirrors. Dark walls in a room without much natural light run the risk of making it feel oppressive. Boost what light you have by adding mirrors — even small, decorative mirrors, like the ones shown here, can help lighten things up. If the room is very dark, add a larger mirror, either on the wall or leaning against it.

Industrial Bedroom by Tamara Magel Studio
Acrylic and glass. Like mirrors, clear materials, like acrylic and glass, can help a dark space feel a bit lighter. Swap out a wood piece, like a console, for a glass or acrylic version. Or add a large glass vase filled with greenery for a quick boost.

Eclectic Living Room by Rikki Snyder
In this living room, dark gray walls are lightened up with a glass coffee table, an acrylic TV stand, white trim and a light sofa and rug.

Contemporary Family Room by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
Rich texture. Dark walls call out for touchable textures, like velvet, silk, oiled wood and fluffy mohair. Consider a plush velvet sofa, velvet or silk accent pillows, or a mohair throw in a living room with dark walls.

Traditional Dining Room by Oak Hill Architects
Oriental rugs. Rolling out an Oriental rug is a good way to marry a daringly dark wall color with a traditional home. These carpets tend to include a range of rich, deep colors, lending them well to dark walls in just about any hue.

Antiques. As with using traditional rugs, bringing in an antique piece or two is a wonderful way to take the edge off a strong wall color. In the room shown here, dark walls look refined alongside an eclectic mix of antiques and modern Lucite chairs.

Tell us: Do you have dark walls? How do you decorate around them? Share your photos and tips in the Comments section!

More: Every Room Needs a Little Bit of Black

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Category:Interior
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