There is no point in denying it, we all have a dark side. Whether it’s how you drink your coffee, how you style your clothes, or how you define your soul, somewhere in life we swear by the colour black. How many times have you seen something that you just have to buy, but only after the question “does this come in black?” So often, it’s a mantra.
If you know me, you know I love the dark side. This is especially true in my interior decor. I wouldn’t shy away from glossing my floorboards black, having black marble worktops or bathroom walls, and painting all my surfaces in charcoals to match. However, living in a rented space, I am limited in the changes I can make to my walls and floors so have to find other ways to channel Wednesday Addams in my home. I have done this with my soft furnishings, coloured carafes and a large stone cat painted black like an Egyptian Mau. (A weekend project which looks more than it sounds, believe me!) I'll also be getting hands-on with a shelving unit and tarnished gold mirror frame in the next few weeks, so keep watch for that.
Despite these little injections, I still yearn for darkened corners and getting them into the designs I create. To do this, I spend many hours searching high and low for palatable, versatile, and approachable ways for people to get dark into their homes, without over facing their space or overwhelming them whilst I’m at it. One of the main declarations I have about going dark is to forget everything that you have been told about them shrinking your room. This is so far from the truth and really can prevent you from making your home the most unique and special place it can be. The problem lies in the ways you use your space and not creating interest or depth in the room. It also lies with those trinkets you have dotted everywhere which only adds to clutter the place up. The trick is to maximize your space by using various textures, layouts, shapes and heights, and a bold pop of colour here and there. This will bring your interior to life regardless of the colours you use.
I could dedicate 20 posts collating my current wishlist and favourite dark spaces, but thought a more useful way to showcase dark decor is to show how I would go about re-decorating and styling my different spaces if I was starting from square one or had little to play with. I have included a few of my favourite paint shades, a few key items, and a few tips and tricks essential for those who dare to trust me and embrace their inner darkness. You know what they say, “I’ll stop decorating when they invent a darker colour.”
This is my favourite combination of the selections I have put together. It includes my current Swoon hero product and the most exquisite patterned hide which I have seen to date. I am the first to celebrate the raw colours and textures of a hide and hate the matted fur pieces that are cropping up everywhere, but the elegant pattern and slivers of shimmer on this one just did something for me, and I knew I had to show you. Paint-wise, floor-to-ceiling black can be broken up with flashes of white or paired with another, tonal dark shade which contrasts in the most subtle but effective way. Don't be afraid to cover the whole surface, as matte finishes prevent obtruding the final scheme with uneven shine - leave this to other furnishings. You'll notice multiple appearances of H&M throughout this post too. They are repeatedly ticking all of my boxes this season and I'm not afraid to show it.
Papers & paints: Obsidian Green (216), LittleGreene // 1829, Angelica, Craig & Rose
Featured products: Black Persian Cow Hide Rug, £688.00, Mineheart.com // Katana Sideboard, Black and Brass, £649, Swoon // Stoneware Vase, £24.99, H&M // Mino Black Vase, £225, Marco Rubini @ Artmest.com
This selection is to show how black is a complimentary match for even the most standard wood furnishings and a much chicer, modern way to bring a rustic scheme to a room with no checker prints required. This also shows how different finishes couple together to pack some serious impact, despite being few in number. The sheen of varnish, the shine of gold tones, the softness of fur or wool and the matte of the painted surfaces... they all combine to create warmth and comfort as opposed to the industrial feel that is associated with charcoal finishes.
Papers & paints: Mulberry Red, Abigail Ahern // NLXL Timber Strips Teak on Black paper, £175.00, Beaumonde
Featured products: Reclaimed wood panel door // Natural tan goat hide rug // Ignite pinnacle Inset Gas Fire, £928, B&Q // Kendo Cabinet, Black mango wood, £599, Swoon
The next selection is a refined classic, and a softer approach to dark decor using shades of grey. I absolutely adore both of these wallpapers, and I can't get over the price of the crocodile print. I sent a swatch to one of my galpals who is redecorating her flat and she fell in love with it too - now all she has to do is convince her partner that it is entirely necessary, and my work here is complete. Of course there is a vase present, and the shape and finish of this one ties in wonderfully to the classical theme of the wallpaper on the right. Back to modernity, and agate is having a moment, so these coasters are a small but glamorous detail to any home.
Papers & paints: Hudson Black, Abigail Ahern // In the clouds wallpaper, £98.00, Mineheart.com // Premier black crocodile wallpaper, now £12.50, Debenhams
Featured products: Grey wash agate coasters, from a collection at Etsy // Mia Armchair in Granite Velvet, £549, Swoon // Stoneware vase, £17.99, H&M
This final image is a quick mock up of an office space that would keep me at work many hours longer than I need to be. I used a black marble dining table by Kelly Wearstler but have recently died and gone to desk heaven in the shape of her new Elevado desk, retailing at $14,695. Whether used as a desk or as a dining table, I'd pair this featured piece with a matching marble backwash and a heavy beaded chandelier dripping from above. Oversized lighting is an essential addition even to tiny spaces, as it plays on perspective and adds a tonne of drama in the process. I love it all.
Papers & paints: BCT Black Marble tiles, Victorian Plumbing
Featured products: Pandora Hanging beads metallic chandelier, decorpad.com // Shikari 20 inch black beaded glass chandelier, Currey & company // Liaison Dining table, Marble & Bronze, Kelly Wearstler // Kartell Black Perspex Mr Impossible Chair, from a selection @ modernprops.co.uk
To finish proving my point and leave you with more food for thought, I have included a few images of ready made dark spaces in the gallery below. This is a useful way to see how others have used their dark decor and begin generating some ideas of what can be done to your own space when the refresh is required.
Don't beware of the dark side - embrace it.