Yes it does look familiar doesn’t it! Every time I look at this picture of my sitting room (or actually sit in it come to that) I’m so pleased that we made the decision to paint the walls dark. When we first moved in, and after the heavy duty renovations had been done, we painted everything white. Initially we loved the light spaces but eventually we began to feel that this room was lacking a bit of personality. It’s a room we tend to only use in the evenings and, as such, it’s more of a cosy space.
We decided to go for it. We had already painted all the library shelves (at the other end of the room) in dark grey and it was time for these walls to match. One Saturday afternoon we pulled the furniture into the middle of the room and, while the Queen sailed up the River Thames on her Golden Jubilee barge and our friend Susie laboured away to bring her daughter into the world, we painted the walls.
I think it’s better don’t you? Well perhaps you don’t, but it’s done now and I love it! Perhaps, in an ideal world, I would live in a double fronted house and have one white sitting room and one black one. That would be cool. But there’s only one and it’s black.
With that in mind, when MADE.com asked if I would like to feature as their house of the month and to share some helpful tips about using dark paint. I demurred. No, not really, I said, I’m shy and retiring and never have any opinions on anything, please don’t ask me to do that…
So here are some of my suggestions for using dark paint. To read the rest you can click here:
1 If you are going to go for it then don’t wimp out with a mid-shade or just one wall. The key is to make it look like you meant it. If you are going dark, paint all four walls. You can leave the area above a picture rail white as well as the skirting boards as I have done. Or you can do the skirting boards to match which also looks great and I fully plan to do ours*.
*pay someone else to do it
2 Dark neutrals; grey, navy, black and brown, go with many more colours than you might expect. Throw in lots of accent colours: neons, pastels or primaries, whatever your preference.
3 Add some metallics. This will bounce the light around and add texture. Anything from a glittering sequin cushion cover (strictly decoration that one) to candlesticks and lampshades.
And if you want to see a selection of furniture that will go with this look, then my picks are here I love all of these and have seen nearly all of them in real life so I can tell you that I have sat in them, played with them, touched them etc.
This Nielson sofa is my current favourite and if I had that second sitting room, I would Snap.It.Up. The only reason I haven’t is that I literally bought a new sofa six months ago and can’t justify a new one already. Here I am sitting on it, with a couple of the cushions I like too. Ignore me, the chair’s the thing but I’m just practising what I preach. I’m even wearing black and white with metallic boots. Livin’ it people, livin’ it.
Anyone going over to the dark side? Let us know…
Hi Kate, I love the dark walls and am going to paint my new living room a dark grey too. Can I ask where you got your lovely cushions from?
Hi Rosa, I’m sure your living room will look great. So my cushions – the two end ones were £12.99 from H&M and the one in the middle came with the sofa before this one! It was part of the deal to include two cushions in material of our choice and these (we have two) are now nearly 12 years old and a little tatty round the edges. There are lots of great cushions about though and the great thing about High Street ones is that you can afford to change them over as often as you like. Sometimes a quick seasonal change lifts the whole room and makes you feel like you have done something much more exciting for about £20. Good luck with the painting.
Love all of this, and your excellent writing. My son has a dark brown wood panelled room badly in need of painting. I’d like to do it a dark blackish blue, maybe even with a hint of green. Any suggestions on paint colors for wood? There are no windows in this room – it’s like a tiny library with shelves all along one side.
Hague Blue by Farrow and Ball is a dark blue with a hint of green. It’s a great colour and I have painted my front door in it but it would be fantastic on an interior wall. Farrow and Ball also do a blue/black but not sure it’s got the green undertone. Another one to look at is Basalt by Little Greene – gorgeous dark blue/black. I also like Raven Plume by Dulux. I hope one of these might work.
Always been weary of dark colours, but you have won me over – Farrow & Ball it is!
Hurray! Let us all know how you get on.
We went F&B Railings in our front room alongside a white kitchen and back room. It’s a great contrast. We went right up to the coving, also painting the picture rail in Railings as well as the skirtings and fireplace. A turquoise velvet sofa and a russet leather one help to give some colour. All in all very happy with it.
It sounds absolutely gorgeous.
Update: Hubs didn’t take much convincing. I sent him the link to your article and he thinks the dark sitting room is a fab idea! Hmm, now which grey…?
ooh so many greys…. down pipe, lamp black, basalt….
Your sitting room has fab bones and looks great painted light or dark. But the dark walls are definitely a winner. Currently planning a kitchen extension at the back, which will be mostly white, white kitchen, white walls. Our seldom used sitting room at the front of the house is currently white but a little chilly (gappy floorboards). I’ll bet painting it darker will make it seem a lot more cosy and it will be a great contrast to the extension. Now, I’ve just got to convince the hubby…
Love it! We’re going dark in the bedroom. Deciding between Farrow & Ball Downpipe & Abigail Ahern Bleecker. Both gorgeous. Not sure about accessories yet.
Love your tips, I’ve just finished painting my sitting room very dark and started searching for some mercury silvered lamp bases to bounce more light. Its made the room look larger, the curtain fabric pops and I love it!
how interesting to see the white version of your room too. Although it is a beautiful room either way, the dark walls are just more interesting and sassy! I’m looking for the perfect dark blue to paint my dining room, which like yours is a more evening time room. Now I’ve decided to go dark, the original choice doesn’t feel dark enough! I’m hankering after a bitter chocolate study now too. Do you think this is a trend that’s here to stay or do you think we’ll all be painting the walls white again in 6 months? Just curious…
Hi, it’s definitely better dark isn’t it. The word is that the darks are here to stay for a while so I think you’re safe to go for it. Also, if that’s what you like then who cares about the rest! There are some great dark blues around – I love Little Greene Basalt, which is a blue black, or Farrow & Ball Hague Blue which isn’t quite as dark but is a great colour and finally Dulux Blue Raven Plume is a gorgeous colour. For your study have you looked at Farrow & Ball Tanner’s Brown? It’s quite dark and chocolatey – consider doing the skirting boards as well to really anchor the room. Good luck and let us all know what you choose, XK
It’s Basalt! I’ve decided to go really dark, with some brass accents and I have some beautiful olive green dining chairs. But the bit im not sure about is what to do about the window frame and doors? The room has a big bay like yours, but it’s actually a single gazed door that leads to the garden. Should this be Basalt too? I’m doing the skirting as suggested. It’s an East facing room for mainly night time use. What do you think? Pale window frame and door, or dark? Thanks, and love your blog!
hmm…. I think if you are doing the skirtings you might as well carry right on round the window – that way it will all look together. The danger of leaving it white is that it might look like you ran out of paint – or courage. But, I would suggest, do the rest of the room first – see how it looks and then do the door frame and see how that looks. That might be enough. If it isn’t, or it looks odd then do the rest. I think it will look great. XK
Really enjoyed reading your post! What a transformation making it such a beautiful space – love the dark. Inspires me to paint my sitting room this weekend. *
*pay someone to do it
LOVE it dark!
Yes!
It was that picture of your living room featured on made.com that finally made me go black, well off black. I’d been trying to visualise it for ages and finally just got on with it. It completely changed the space, gave it more edge, made the artwork pop and the furniture came to life. Love it. It’s just the maintenance i’m not loving quite so much with a two year old in tow…
That pink lamp is yum btw.