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Decorating With Dark Paint Colours

How to decorate with dark paint colours is a question that we are often asked at Rockett St George.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that we love dark interiors and the impact and mood-enhancing feeling that dark paint creates in a room are hard to contend with.In fact, we think that it's one of the most fearless things that you can do to your decor. Dark paint highlights and accentuates your accessories, furniture and lighting, not forgetting the mood-boosting effects it can have. So, we've created a room-by-room guide that breaks down how to decorate with dark colours. Read on to discover more.


Decorating with dark paint colours in the bedroom

What is this room used for and how do I want it to make me feel?

Typically the bedroom is a space where we go to escape, relax, restore and rest. So, it's fundamentally important that we get our paint colours right in this room. Otherwise, we could end up disturbing our sleep with a paint colour that does everything but promotes sleep. For more ways to help you sleep at night, we have our top sleep tips to read here.

Fortunately, dark paint is the perfect colour choice for your bedroom. The deep tones will cocoon you and make you feel safe and secure. Feeling secure in your bedroom is by far one of the easiest ways to make you relax and so you can never go wrong with opting for charcoal greys, deep blues and dark greens in your bedroom.

What considerations do I need to make?

When it comes to the bedroom it's worth considering what direction the light is coming in from. Obviously, a dark room means limited light and so it's important to highlight and accentuate where the lights coming from in your room. Our blog How To Choose The Right Paint Colour For Your Home looks deeper into the importance of light direction and how to paint north, east, south and west-facing rooms. So, it's well worth checking out before deciding on your wall paint colours.

What dark paint colours are best for the bedroom?

A moody and sexy dark paint colour is the ideal paint colour choice. Think jet blacks with chocolate undertones and dark navy blues with grey undertones. Good choices would include the Portobello Paint, Zeitgeist Paint and Raeburn Paint.


Decorating with dark paint in living rooms

What is this room used for and how do I want it to make me feel?

Living rooms are family rooms. They are the rooms in the home where we go to read our favourite books and magazines, binge-watch Netflix, listen to music and enjoy the company of our loved ones. So we want it to feel like an escape from the stresses of day-to-day life, but also a room for fun, entertainment and light-heartedness.

What considerations do I need to make?

Dark paint can certainly create an intimate mood, but if you want it to feel a little more light-hearted then it's worth injecting colour pops into the room. A colour pop is the art of taking an object, furniture piece or accessory with a contrasting colour to the wall paint and incorporating it into the room. It will quite literally 'pop' out at you when you walk into the room and it can be really impactful in the overall aesthetic. Colour pop ideas include an Ochre Sofa, Pink Vase or a bright blue lampshade. For more colour-pop accessories check out our display ornaments on the Rockett St George website.

What dark paint colours are best for the living room?

A lovely dark grey paint is a great colour choice for the living room. Grey paint is a neutral wall colour and can be paired with a myriad of colours and accessories. A dark grey then is a great colour choice for your living room, particularly if you are looking to incorporate other colours into the room. Our dark grey Raeburn wall paint is a great choice if you are in search of dark grey paint.


Decorating with dark paint colours in the kitchen

What is this room used for and how do I want it to make me feel?

Often the most social room in the home the kitchen is where you prepare food, eat and hang out with your favourite people. It comes as no surprise then that this room is often pegged as peoples most favourite room in the home.

What considerations do I need to make?

We want to choose dark paint colours for the kitchen that looks stylish but is also hard-wearing and practical for day-to-day cooking preparations. Kitchens are high-traffic areas and so dark paint is a particularly great colour choice for the kitchen as it can withstand the test of time as opposed to lighter or neutral paint colours.

What dark paint colours are best for the kitchen?

The trend of navy kitchens really hit the Instagram scene in 2016 and it's stuck around. For good reason! Not only does it make all your kitchenware shine and your white surfaces simply sparkle, it also hides a multitude of sins. If you have kids you know that food can end up anywhere and everywhere so choosing a dark navy paint such as our Portobello Paint or Paynes Grey Paint is a smart and savvy paint choice.


Decorating with dark paint colours in the dining room

dark dining room with a dazzling chandelier hanging over the dining table.

Paint palette:

What is this room used for and how do I want it to make me feel?

The dining room is where you eat and enjoy the company of your family and friends, so we want it to feel intimate, relaxing, creative and fun.

What considerations do I need to make?

Our number one consideration for the living room is functionality. Dark paint is great for creating an atmosphere in the dining room and no one likes to eat under bright lights. So, it's important to take the time to consider what lighting you'll need to use in your dark dining room. Our recommendations would include wall lights, chandeliers and candlelight. The latter is the ultimate mood enhancer, so the more candles the better in our opinion! For more lighting tips, check out our guide - How to choose lighting for your home.

What dark paint colours are best for the dining room?

A bold black or warming chocolate paint colour are great choices for your dining room wall decor. A black wall paint is a super glamorous choice and would look amazing styled with mirror tin tiles, striking green foliage and brass accessories. By contrast, a cocoa brown wall paint will create a warming and inviting dining space that all the family will love spending time in. Finish off your decor with golden ochre accessories and cosy textures such as rugs and seat cushions for the ultimate statement look. Our Zeitgeist and Briarwood Wall Paint are our most popular black and brown paint colour choices respectively.


Decorating with dark paint colours in the bathroom

What is this room for and how do I want it to make me feel?

The bathroom is where we go to get clean and pamper ourselves and so we want it to make us feel happy and indulged.

What considerations do I need to make?

The most important factor when choosing paint colours for your bathroom whether dark or light is that the paint can withstand humidity and moisture. A simple paint protector will do the trick here which you can paint over your dark paint colour. It helps protect against moisture and mould which is particularly important in a wet room like the bathroom.

What dark paint colours are best for the bathroom?

Our final tips for painting with walls with dark colours in the bathroom is the darker the better! Creating a dark, moody vibe in your bathroom can make you feel super sexy, glamorous and indulged. Choose dark black paints such as our Zeitgeist Dark Wall Paint and accessorise the bathroom with candles, mirrors and green faux plants. You can also create a feeling of balance with complementary colours such as white bathroom accessories.


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