Should I go to the dark side?!

5 years ago

Hi all,

Currently mid-way through an extension (open plan kitchen/diner/snug/playroom) and as part of the work, we have closed off the front room of the house to make a ‘grown up living room’.

I am really desperate to go dark at least somewhere, but I’m scared of hating it at the same time and everyone is so quick to give me all their opinions on why not to! This room is West facing and as it’s now blocked off, you can see it ‘as is’ in terms of light etc (picture was taken on a full day).

Anyone got any ideas? Or should I resign myself to being calm and neutral...elephant’s breath anyone? Help! :)

Featured Answer

Nisha Parekh

5 years ago

I’ve used Hague Blue in a living room and dining room and love it! The colour changes throughout the day in different lights, but I love all its shades (I’ve attached pic so you can see a few of them). The rooms are mostly used in the evening and have a warm, intimate feel, but they are equally nice to be in during the day. And it does look lovely with brick. I’ve used the Green Smoke Resh has in his amazing living room in my kitchen and have to say, that is also a beautiful colour!

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Comments (32)

Emily
5 years ago
Sometimes rooms painted white can look dark partly because they have a large dark sofa or dark carpet. I just say this to show that the items going in a room have a big effect. If you went dark walls but had light floor and some art pieces that are light together with your white shutters the walls won’t be so obvious but instead be part of a balanced scheme. I’d look at the dark Houzz schemes and think about what elements are making the schemes look good. I bet it isn’t the dark walls alone. It’s often the way available light highlights things (get some ambient lighting) and often how good things look against the dark walls. ? IMO anyway
Jen Star
5 years ago
Dulux has an app called visualizer which is really easy to use and gives quite good indication of what will look like.. I used it before painting a small bedroom very dark.
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Carolina
5 years ago
I think you should. Think it will be a lovely, cosy room. Check out this thread, she painted it F&B Inchyra Blue (scroll down for the almost finished result).

https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/what-to-do-with-uneven-alcoves-dsvw-vd~5453092

Or go over to the medium dark side.

What will be on the floor? What's the furniture like?
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
I had this dilemma a short time ago, I painted my on wall in my living room a crown dark grey and the rest in f&b pavilion grey, it looked well(ish) but something didn’t sit well, possible the imbalance of the fireplace, alcoves and the dark colour all on one side, just made it seem heavy, I painted two more walls the same dark grey along with all the skirtings and doors! Wow! What a difference, yes it’s dark and yes I have two ambient lights (that really are needed to set the room off but I love it! It’s so rich looking, don’t get me wrong, if I ever have to sell I’ll paint it all white as most wouldn’t get it but for the next few years it’s staying! At the end if the day it’s just paint, you can change it.
PRO
Marina Drobot at Cinnamon Space
5 years ago
We had an open plan kitchen living space in a south west facing flat. the kitchen had dark cabinets. so we painted the kitchen wall charcoal black so the kitchen cabinets blended in.

it did not have any negative impact on the natural light in the room.
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Carolina, thanks for your comment and for sharing the link. Funnily enough it’s Inchyra Blue that I have become fixated on, so it was great to see this!
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Marina, fab pictures, thank you for sharing these
PRO
Fitted Lifestyles
5 years ago
I think you should go for it. I have worked in several homes recently that have dark grey walls & it looks really stylish & modern! I hope this helps.

A couple of examples:

https://www.houzz.co.uk/projects/5243780/elegant-grey-media-unit

https://www.houzz.co.uk/projects/1850115/open-plan-low-level-media-unit-with-integrated-banquette-seating
PRO
Marina Drobot at Cinnamon Space
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
some ideas from Houzz

Rear extension, Loft Conversion, Total Internal Fit Out · More Info

CVETNOY · More Info

Belsize Park, Kitchen · More Info

and Farrow & Ball: Hague Blue dining room
Juliet Docherty
5 years ago
It's only paint, I would do it if you are tempted. There are so many images of Inchyra Blue walls so you know it will look beautiful but it will take a lot of light out of the room but that won't matter if you use it mainly in the evenings. Dark rooms look beautiful when lit with lamps.
jenworldwide thanked Juliet Docherty
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Have just been back through all my saved ideas and found this, I think it’s just beautiful and I think from now on, this is what I’m working towards....

F&B’s Hague Blue and I also have the Swoon brass fronted side board, so maybe that’s a sign! ❤️

SS H · More Info
Carolina
5 years ago
I don't think that you will regret it. Good luck. Keep us posted!
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
I will, thanks so much for your help
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
That possibly won a design award? think it was a feature
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes I think so. My_london_home on Instagram...found it by doing a lot of hashtag searching! :)
Carole Menzies
5 years ago
This is the lounge in my last house. It started cream and looked so bland and cold. Painted it Hale Navy from Benjamin Moore and it came to life!
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Wow Carole, I love it! That’s a gorgeous colour and I love the bright accent colours you put with it, thanks for sharing it
Resh
5 years ago
Go dark! it can feel very intimate and cosy. this is our living room, which is west facing. I should send a pic with the Christmas tree in it - feels very seasonal right now, but is a great space for relaxing during summer too.
#TheLondonHomeDesignAwards · More Info

#TheLondonHomeDesignAwards · More Info
PRO
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
What are you going to do with the Fireplace? I think i'd decide on the design for that before trying to find a wall colour, as the two will go together. If you're having exposed brick all over, you may decide on a different colour to that of one if you were going with plaster and some exposed brick.

Here I think the blue works best with the full exposed brick look.

Thus i'm guessing if you went with a plaster front with some exposed brick, it would be better to have two colours from the same palette, darker in the alcoves and lighter on the face.

Of course you may want to do the whole room in the dark colour.......super sophisticated

I think i love this look
jenworldwide thanked User
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi Resh, your living room is stunning!! Thanks for the pics, I love the plants and lighting too, great inspiration.
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi Man About the House, thanks for the mock ups, really helpful. We’re having a wood burner installed and so far the brick work sadly seems pretty poor and so our thoughts were to plasterboard and have an oak sleeper as a mantle piece, so think your last pic is pretty spot on!
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Also now thinking Little Greene’s Juniper Ash could be a top contender. Does anyone have it in their house? Less examples available to see online than e.g. Hague or Inchyra blue. Samples are on their way.
jenworldwide
Original Author
5 years ago
Gorgeous Nisha - it looks so rich! I've ordered lots of A3 card so I can paint all my samples and try to start making some decisions soon. Thanks for the pics
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
@nisha very mid century! Love it:-)
Martin
5 years ago
Go for it. We went for Inchyra Blue in our 2nd bedroom. Only did the chimney breast at first because we were concerned it would be too dark as it's north east facing and it only has a small window. But it didn't look right so we did the whole room and put a light grey carpet down and i love it. You could put up a picture rail and paint it white above it if you're worried it will be overbearing
Nisha Parekh
5 years ago
@beano Thank you :)

@jenworldwide Thanks... Good luck with the samples! Let us know how you get on with them...
Resh
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
jenworldwide - my mother has been in touch. It turns out that our parents are friends and that you and I went to nursery school together! Small world. I have sent your Mum an e-mail...get in touch and we can chat renovations!

Anyway, dark is good. This is the living room from our last (1930s) house. F&B Hague Blue (fantastic colour) in a north-facing room.
Sonia
5 years ago
I’ve painted one wall in my kitchen with Little Green’s Woad (a bit darker than Juniper Ash) and we both love it. You could always do, say, the fireplace wall first and see what you think. I especially like dark walls with white woodwork. Go over to the dark side, you won’t regret it!
Sal89
5 years ago
Wow Resh love your living room! It looks like something out of a magazine. Did you design it all yourself? I have a living room that will mostly be used in the evening and I think it would actually be nice to do it dark and cosy.
Resh
5 years ago
Hi, and thanks! Yes, no interior designer for our house - did it ourselves, which is all the fun, really!
bchillman5
5 years ago
Great to see all the votes for dark here. Sooooo bored with all the endless white/neutral rooms you see. We’ve just spent a year living in the all white house we moved into, and are finally getting round to decorating. So many people looked at our paint samples and were clearly horrified but we love our new rooms! So much more warmth and character. Just trust your instincts - I find rooms will tell you their character over time. We still have pale colour upstairs - loft conversion, needed to be airy - but love curling up in our cosy living room (Valspar April Rain, budget doesn’t run to F&B!), and our spare room (Dulux Starlit Night 2) feels like a boutique hotel, if boutique hotels came with cats sleeping where they’ve been told not to!