Embrace the dark side: decorating with dark colors in your bedroom

Always wanted a dark bedroom but didn’t know where to start?

Decorating with dark colors in your bedroom is a great way to create a cozy, cocooning atmosphere that encourages sleep. When done simply and minimally, dark bedrooms look stunning and effortlessly create a calm, inviting space. If you’ve always been tempted by the dark side then read on for some tips to help you take the plunge and lots of pictures to inspire you with colors and ideas.

Going for dark walls in a bedroom works especially well when you have a bedroom that’s already dark. It could be dark because it lacks natural light or because it’s small. Either way it’s best to embrace the darkness and play to the rooms strengths.

I have always lived in homes where the entryway is either dark or very small/narrow and without natural light and I’ve always gone for dark walls. The first time it felt very scary but once I did it, I didn’t look back because it totally works.

Tips for decorating with dark colors in your bedroom

Choose your wall color

The best place to start is to choose the main color for the walls. The only color I would suggest you stay away from is pure black — it’s hard to make black work and done wrong, your room can look oppressive. Instead try dark greys, dark blues or dark greens, deep browns or even deep red tones.

Also remember there are levels of darkness too – for example a medium dark grey painted on all the walls in a room will look dark and achieve the dark bedroom look. So think about the level and depth of darkness you want to go for.

Test paints and check underlying tones

Once you’ve got a few sample pots, test them out in your room. Colors on screen and even paint cards can look very different on your walls. Undertones matter too — not all dark greens or dark blues are the same. Some have cool grey or blue undertones while others can have warm yellow or reddish hues.

Whichever color you are leaning towards make sure the undertones are in keeping with your overall bedroom colour scheme. If you’re unsure about undertones, take a look at this article where I have explained paint undertones in more detail

Opt for tone on tone

When going dark in a bedroom, it’s best to stick to one main color with different shades of the same tone to create the most calming room that looks effortlessly pulled together. This is particularly true, if like me, you’re in to a minimalist, clutter-free look for your bedroom.

This is also where undertones come in again – if you’re going for shades of blue you want to make sure they’re all cool blues or warm blues. It’s one of the easiest ways to make a room come together and look harmonious.

To contrast or not to contrast?

You can either opt for completely embracing the dark vibes by choosing things like dark curtains in the same tones as your wall (which can look quite stunning), going for bed linen in similar dark tones and even opting for wall art in dark shades.

Alternatively you can add contrast by choosing pale, neutral bed linens and/or light colored rugs. There is no right or wrong here, it’s purely personal preference but it’s worth thinking about when you’re planning your room. If you can’t decide you could go for lighter furnishings for the summer months and darker for the winter.

Add texture

Dark decor looks great but it needs something extra and that is texture. Every room in your home will benefit from texture as texture effortlessly lifts a space. And dark bedrooms will benefit even more.

Adding texture creates visual interest and gives a room that finished look. Think wool throws, seagrass baskets, leather accessories, wooden hooks, sheepskin rugs etc. Even think of textures in lighting like fabric or rattan lights. Remember to keep textures to natural tones or colours that are in shades of your main wall color.

Think about the lighting

One of the benefits of a dark bedroom is that it creates a cozy, cocoon like atmosphere in the room. To complement the mood of the room, it’s important to go for lighting that works to enhance the mood, rather than take away from it. Try and think of the lighting in layers where you can go from a dimly lit room for creating the right ambiance to bright for those times that you need the more light for practical reasons.

Go for it!

Don’t let fear stop you from going to the dark side. If you’re always pouring over images of dark, moody rooms then try it for yourself. Even if you start with painting one big wall in a dark color and taking it from there. After all it’s only paint and can always be painted over. I’ll also add that dark, moody rooms aren’t just for primary bedrooms. They look great in a kids bedroom too and the cosiness can help with sleep too.

Are you ready to try decorating with dark colors? Which tone are you most drawn to?

Image credits: 1 – source unknown | entrance makleri| gabriella belin | jotun lady | alvhem | nikki heaton studio | stadshem |