Tips for decorating with dark paint

Usually, designers recommend you paint your home with neutral colors and then use bold colors in the decor. But what are you supposed to do when you really want a dark paint color? Can you still decorate nicely even if the paint is dark? Here are some tips for decorating if you want to use dark paint on your walls.

Even it out with whites

Dark blues and blacks can look really awesome on a wall, but make sure you use whites to help balance it out and give some contrast to the space. For example, white baseboards and baseboard heater covers and lighter colored floors will help balance it out. Use white furniture or white cabinets up against the black. If you are going to use a dark wall, you must use large white pieces to balance out the amount of dark color in the room.

Light, light, light

One way to keep your room from feeling too much like a cave with dark walls is to make sure you get a lot of natural light. If you have big windows, use sheer window coverings, so you always get some natural light in your space. Keep your windows open whenever possible to bring in the light. If you have 9 ft or taller ceilings, try and get windows that are taller as well.

If you don’t have any options for extra natural light or are in a naturally dark space, try adding can lights to the ceiling. It will help even out the light in the room and can really brighten up the space.

Mirrors

By putting mirrors on the wall, you make the space feel bigger and brighter. All the light in the room will reflect off the mirror and brighten the space up, and you will feel like your space is bigger instead of feeling smaller from the effects of the dark paint.

Try just one wall

If you don’t want to change your light situation or you like to have darker furniture, you can also use yor paint color on just one wall in the room. For example, you can use a deep shade of blue on one wall and paint the rest white. That way, the dark paint isn’t overwhelming, and you still get all the color that you want in your space.

Bright colored accent pieces

Use accent pieces throughout your room to really contrast with the dark colors you chose. If you picked black paint for your walls, then using bright yellows and pinks or oranges really make a statement and contrast the black a lot. It’s also a fun and creative way to bring color into your space. Get bright throw pillows, wall decor, etc.

Frames and shelving

When choosing frames for your dark wall, it is best to go with lighter colors to contrast and give a clear break before the picture starts. However, shelving might be different. You can choose shelving that blends into the wall color and is barely noticeable or you can choose to get something that contrasts a lot with your paint color, so it stands out. That is personal preference. Usually, large dark walls do need something on them or against them to break up the color slightly.

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