Image via MyDomaine – designed by Coco Republic
Spaces that consist mainly of dark colors are becoming more and more popular and provide a different feeling than the usual white or neutral spaces. But what if you were able to achieve both with a discerning blend of dark and light? With a few tips you can cleverly use dark accents while still being able to enjoy a bright space, and it’s mostly done by pairing well-selected home décor. Your darker space doesn’t have to be dreary. Here are six ways to still achieve a bright space while decorating with dark colors!
1. Try to plan your space around natural light
If you’re able to, place your dark colors and furniture in a space with a good amount of natural light. This will cause a natural contrast, especially when it is bright out. The natural light will also have a similar effect as greenery or foliage by opening and warming up the space.
2. Focus on your wall color
You should use your wall color to bring out the contrast in the room if you’re looking to use dark furniture. The color white will always work on walls. It’s important to play around with different shades of white however, to find what fits best in your space. A completely different approach that will also be successful is darkly colored walls with light furniture, like the fabulous deep green kitchen!
3. Add greenery and foliage
Placing greenery and foliage, even if it’s fake, is one of the easiest ways to still achieve a bright space while using dark colors. The greenery helps to make the space appear more open and welcoming. The green will add a nice pop of color as well if there is not a lot of color in your space.
via The Girl with the Green Sofa
4. Let accessories brighten up the space
Accessories can help a lot in a space that is more dark than light. Adding accessories that contrast with the darker furniture can help brighten the space by providing small pops of color and uniqueness throughout the space.
5. Utilize lamps versus overhead lighting
You should place lamps around darker pieces of furniture. Lamps will add a warmer feeling than overhead lighting can provide, and will also be able to spotlight your key pieces of furniture.
6. Use contrasting rugs and textiles around dark furniture
By placing a rug in front of a dark piece of furniture, it will add texture and color to the whole space. Adding textiles or throw blankets to a sofa or chair will help break up the dark colors. Both can add additional contrast to the space. Alternatively, try a dark colored rug to bring dimension into a space.
Dark colors give a sense of mystery in a space and can be used successfully, but they do best if you can still achieve a bright and welcoming space. The tips laid out above are simple fixes to a space that just feels a bit too dark. Now decorating with dark colors can be a game changing asset to enhance your space with style.
Article by Lydia Berge – Interiors by Jacquin intern