Most people are nervous about strong colors in their homes, so going with a dark color is definitely spooky for so many. But black, navy, and dark brown rooms are actually cozy and gorgeous. The key is to remember that you want to choose a color you love and that you can always change it easily. Here’s how to be bold and try a dark room in your house!

Drench the Room

Select a color you love and drench the room with it. That means all walls, bookshelves, cabinetry, and more, like I did in the Houston home office above. That color is actually a very dark blue, rather than a black, but I do love a black room!

Bring Balance

Balance the dark color with some light. That could be lighter paint colors, a great light fixture, or a bit of glam and glimmer. In the dark powder room I designed above, I added handpainted gingko leaves in gold leaf, which absolutely glow against that beautiful brown.

In the Background

Another way to use a darker color in your home is to make it the background of a patterned wallpaper, like in the powder room above. It’s a great way to introduce black into a space without it being too overwhelming for a nervous home owner.

Tell the Tale in Tile

In the bathroom above, I used Walker Zanger tile in Deep Sea to create a cozy nook for the tub. Tile is a more permanent design element, though, so be sure it’s a color that you’re willing to live with.

What do you think about dark rooms? Would you be willing to give them a try? Let me know in the comments section below.

Happy Halloween!

Beth