2019-05-20
Author: Belfan
Issues discussed in the material:
- What are the pros and cons of dark furniture
- What rules should you follow when decorating the interior with furniture in dark colors?
- What style does furniture in dark colors look good in?
- How to choose the right furniture in dark colors
- How to arrange furniture in dark colors in the interior of different rooms
Many people think that by furnishing a room with dark furniture, they will get a gloomy and expressionless environment. This is wrong. The interior can be made much more expressive with the help of bright accessories. From our article you will learn how to choose and place furniture in dark colors correctly in a room.
Harmonizing colors with dark furniture
There are a lot of options for combining shades. Dark furniture harmonizes with white and very light tones, as well as bright shades. You can decorate the entire interior in dark tones, but you should take care of high-quality lighting and give preference to glossy, mirror and glass surfaces. In this case, the house will look extremely stylish, and will not create the impression of a “crypt”.
Light walls visually expand the enclosed space; against their background, the furniture looks more solid and more expensive.
You can combine dark furniture:
- with natural textures;
- neutral or light finish;
- bright spots in the form of textiles, accessories, decor.
What goes with black?
Black and white furniture harmonizes perfectly with expensive accessories. This color is suitable for any style. The finishing is usually chosen in light shades.
Red-black furniture is a bold choice for lovers of sophistication. White is often added to this tandem to dilute dark colors.
Black-gray furniture is often used by modern designers, adding shades of white, floral prints and paintings.
Read about the combination of colors in the interior in our article -
Correct lighting in the room
The design of any room with dark furniture cannot be completed without proper lighting arrangement. It is worth considering that large objects absorb natural light, so you need to create as many artificial lighting points as possible.
An interior enhanced by the contrast of dark furniture with light pastel walls will be especially elegant, sophisticated and at the same time laconic and light.
The optimal scheme would be:
- 1-2 main light sources (depending on the size of the room);
- spotlights above the work areas, along the perimeter of the room;
- individual light sources (floor lamps, sconces) in recreation areas.
The more different lamps there are in the room, the more possibilities there are for adjusting the lighting level.
The floor covering, made in light colors, has a refreshing effect on the atmosphere.
Important! Use reflective surfaces in the interior to visually increase space and compensate for dark shades of furniture.
You should opt for the wooden texture of the floors in natural colors.
What upholstered furniture to choose for the bedroom?
If the size of your bedroom allows you to add several ottomans or soft couches, choose a bed with a set.
There will be no need to subsequently select an additional ottoman or sofa by shade.
As a result, this piece of furniture will spoil the overall picture. But if it is radically different in color from the general palette, then it can become an unexpected bright accent.
You can make a pouf a striking decorative element in your bedroom design.
White room design with dark furniture
One of the classic combinations is interior design in black and white. If the walls and ceiling are decorated with light materials, dark furniture will look contrasting. It is very important to carefully choose the design of interior items, as attention will be focused on them.
The contrasting floor seems to “lift” the furniture from the ground, adding airiness to the surrounding environment.
It is also necessary to combine glossy and matte textures in the design of the room. They shouldn't conflict. We must not forget about bright spots: these can be photo frames on the walls, small textile objects (pillows, blankets), accessories. Be sure to dilute the monochrome palette with colored accents.
It is best to do without curtains at all; the room should be illuminated by sunlight unhindered during the daytime.
Black pens
This element is worth talking about separately. Black handles are an elegant element of furniture. Used as an accent on light cabinets, it is the highlight of the overall look of the room. Used in kitchen sets and bedroom chests of drawers.
Can also be used on bright furniture. Also in combination with colored pens.
Decorating a room with dark furniture
In addition to the contrasting black and white option, you can decorate a room with dark furniture in rich or deep colors.
In addition to maximum natural light, rooms furnished with black, brown, gray, brown furniture require a special artificial lighting system.
Wall canvases
A variety of finishing options are suitable. The materials are not of fundamental importance. Color and accents are much more important. What wall decoration is suitable for a room with dark furniture:
- wallpaper with heraldic patterns, with a gold or bronze sheen;
- plain light wallpaper or material with linear patterns;
- bright walls finished with textured plaster, liquid or roll wallpaper;
- slabs made of natural or artificial stone - it can be dark, to match the furniture or neutral; it is better to combine slabs with light wallpaper;
- photo wallpaper, 3D panels using bright or pastel colors.
Combined wall finishes are interesting, for example, a combination of bare brick and plaster.
The overhead light is combined with spot lighting of the depth of shelves, corners, especially darkened areas.
Floor and its covering
The floor can be made in the same color as the furniture. In this case, the wall decoration should be quite bright, since light colors will create too sharp a transition: the walls will stand out from the overall interior design. In this case, tiles with a glossy finish or laminate would be appropriate.
A reasonable approach to choosing the colors of surrounding objects can reduce the gloominess of dark furniture sets to zero.
If a black and white design scheme is chosen, then the floor should be finished with the lightest, matte finish possible.
The diluting colors can be creamy, creamy - the whole beige range along with snow-white.
Harmony in color
Dark furniture can have a warm or light undertone. The entire interior should be decorated in the same color scheme: a blue-black cabinet looks rather ridiculous against the background of light beige walls, and vice versa, “warm” chocolate-colored furniture will stand out against the background of “cold” wall decoration.
A combination of light walls and dark furniture in strict colors is the basis on which an interior with dark furniture of any style is built.
Light wood floor
Flooring is an important design element in a room and can create a strong visual impact in any room with the right wood species, shade and finish. Among all the floors in a light shade, wooden flooring especially stands out.
Tip If you already have hardwood floors in your home, all you need to do is sand the boards and then paint them to match the walls or furniture. If your parquet is made of some hard wood (for example, oak or ash), then pre-bleaching with whitewash will be required.
Creative, stylish and cozy room design
To avoid all that sanding and painting, light-colored flooring can be achieved by installing new engineered hardwood floors that have been pre-treated with whitewash or paint. Alternatively, if you like the look of wood but don't have the budget, then you can always go with stained vinyl or ceramic tiles.
You can choose wooden floors with different surfaces:
- glossy;
- artificially aged;
- with carving or painting to make the grain more visible.
Wood flooring gives a feeling of basic integrity, lightness and at the same time reliability. Light wood species that perform well as flooring can be the following:
- beech;
- ash;
- oak;
- Scandinavian durum varieties and many others.
These woods blend with traditional interiors, bringing a natural lightness familiar to many generations. On the other hand, their underrated, soft endurance complements the sharper lines of modern architecture. This is a classic flooring that will look confident and enhance any interior style with its genuine naturalness.
Light wood floors come in a wide range of shades:
- white;
- cream;
- beige;
- blue;
- gray.
Linen, cotton and other earth-inspired neutral tones look great here. These wood floors create a neutral canvas from which any style or design can be created. Keep your space monochromatic or mix it up with pops of color.
Dining room connected to living room
Photos of 50 interior design options with dark furniture
The relationship between floor color and interior style
Dark floors do not suit all interior styles:
- For example, shabby chic generally requires the lightest possible floor made of bleached wood.
- On the other hand, an overly light or overly dark floor covering will not go well with classical styles (antique, baroque or rococo). In these interiors, a dark floor made of valuable wood would be much more appropriate.
- However, classical styles are too complex and expensive, and also less functional, so for today’s residential interiors, in the vast majority of cases, modern styles that are close in spirit to the surrounding life are chosen.
Floor color and lighting
When making the final choice in favor of a light or dark floor, one should not lose sight of the nature of the general lighting of the room:
If the boards are located perpendicular to the incident light, they will appear brighter, and if they are located in the opposite direction, they will appear darker.
In general, the floor should be laid along the direction of the incident light, in which case the fastening of the panels will become less noticeable. In addition, it is necessary to take into account that the color of the floor covering under artificial lighting can change noticeably, so during the day and in the evening the appearance of the interior can change greatly.
In addition, the floor will be laid for decades to come, so when choosing a material for it, you need to be very careful, paying attention to its quality.
Are the floors in your home dark or light, and why? Explain your choice in the comments - your opinion and experience are important to us.
