Dark hues have a bad rap as gloomy and depressing. More likely, they香蕉视频直播檙e bringing home the good vibes, all year long.
One weekend when I had the house to myself, I painted our family room Benjamin Moore香蕉视频直播檚 Kendall Charcoal, a deep, earthy gray.
I waited till I had two days alone to do it because it looked pretty shocking when I got started on the trim and rolled the walls. Was it going to veer into Goth Teen Bedroom territory? Or maybe a villainous, albeit stylish, lair?
But when I香蕉视频直播檇 finished, it looked amazing. The rich color, along with white trim and comfy furnishings, gave the room , and felt much homier than the basic beige had.
When the weekenders returned, the response was as I香蕉视频直播檇 hoped; everyone loved it.
That was in 2018, and it香蕉视频直播檚 the only room I haven香蕉视频直播檛 repainted twice since, so there you go.
Turns out I香蕉视频直播檓 not a loony outlier when it comes to loving dark paint.
For Apartment Therapy香蕉视频直播檚 2024 State of Home Design report, editors tallied 131 design experts who said 香蕉视频直播渕oodiness香蕉视频直播� will be one of the year香蕉视频直播檚 hot vibes.
Pros say darker hues are more likely to create resonant atmospheres like coziness, stylish ambiance and even a little drama to keep things interesting. Rooms with these colors aren香蕉视频直播檛 boring, nor are they over-stimulating. They envelop and embrace.
香蕉视频直播淢oody hues are more than just visual,香蕉视频直播� says designer Noz Nozawa. 香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e storytellers, deeply evocative, emotional and often very nostalgic.香蕉视频直播�
GOING WITH EVERYTHING
She thinks people don香蕉视频直播檛 give dark hues enough credit for their versatility, and points out how well they go with different woods, metals and brighter hues.
香蕉视频直播淚 often like to use them as a grounding point 香蕉视频直播� they anchor a room, and then all the other textures and elements in a space can harmonize around them,香蕉视频直播� she says.
Try it yourself, Nozawa says, by holding a moody color swatch next to different woods and metals.
香蕉视频直播淭he swatch will complement in a way that香蕉视频直播檚 warm and comforting, not gloomy or heavy,香蕉视频直播� she says.
Tasked with choosing BlueStar香蕉视频直播檚 2023 Color of the Year for their appliance collection, she went with a deep, fruity Wine Red, which pairs well with different finishes and might remind you of a cozy evening sharing a glass with friends.
LIFTING THE MOOD
香蕉视频直播淗ere in the Pacific Northwest, about two thirds of our days are moody,香蕉视频直播� says Peter Spalding of the interior furnishings marketplace Daniel House Club in Portland, Oregon.
香蕉视频直播淭o cope, we drink a lot of coffee and buy tactical gear instead of fancy dress,香蕉视频直播� he laughs. 香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檇 think brightly colored interiors would be sure-fire medicine too, but actually some of the coziest interiors I香蕉视频直播檝e done here have been in moody greens, blues and grays.香蕉视频直播�
He香蕉视频直播檚 not a fan of cool grays, especially in the Northwest香蕉视频直播檚 dreary light.
香蕉视频直播淏ut a warm French gray is another thing entirely. It香蕉视频直播檚 sort of creamy, with green undertones, and creates a cocoon that no one wants to leave,香蕉视频直播� Spalding says.
That chameleon quality, where a color shifts slightly depending on the light, is what you香蕉视频直播檙e after, he says.
Besides dove gray, Spalding favors deep russet and dark forest hues.
香蕉视频直播淭hey can glow in the sun, or create a cozy envelope when it香蕉视频直播檚 gray outside.香蕉视频直播�
Jennifer Verruto of Blythe Interiors in San Diego likes how these hues make a space feel settled and warm.
香蕉视频直播淔orget the idea that dark colors turn rooms into caves of doom. It香蕉视频直播檚 time to embrace the moody vibes! They have an energy. A room wrapped in a dark, dramatic color can actually provide an uplifting, invigorating feeling,香蕉视频直播� she says.
BALANCING LIGHT AND DARK
She advises counterbalancing any potential heaviness. Position mirrors . Bring in lighter furniture, rugs and d茅cor. Use warm woods and nature-inspired motifs for a comforting, organic vibe. Some of her favorite paints: Sherwin-Williams香蕉视频直播� Iron Ore, Gale Force and Pewter Green.
Deep blue could remind you of an oceanside vacation. Mossy greens might evoke a favorite woodland hike. Mineral hues like citrine, garnet, iron and copper also have that earthy connection.
Brad Ramsey, who has his own interior design firm in Nashville, loves to create a 香蕉视频直播渏ewel box香蕉视频直播� space.
香蕉视频直播淏y taking a moody hue and color-drenching the walls, drapery, even the ceiling, you get this cocoon-like feel,香蕉视频直播� he says. A study, dining room or den in a larger home can, when made darker, work well as an intimate social space, or a retreat for some quiet 香蕉视频直播渕e香蕉视频直播� time, he says.
CREATIVE PAINT NAMES
Some of the for these paint colors are as much fun as the hues themselves.
Dock Blue, Basalt, Goblin, Adventurer and Jewel Beetle are all to be found at British paint maker Little Greene, which has branched into the North American market now.
Backdrop香蕉视频直播檚 founder Natalie Ebel says she wants to evoke a place or a feeling with the paint names. Masterpiece Theater is their first brown, with olive and a little yellow in it.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a color that really lends an atmosphere to a space, like a period drama for your walls,香蕉视频直播� she says. Backdrop has even developed an accompanying playlist, which includes some Verdi, Rossini, Bizet and Hans Zimmer.
Their warm-purple red called Lobby Scene was inspired by Wes Anderson香蕉视频直播檚 movie 香蕉视频直播淭he Grand Budapest Hotel.香蕉视频直播� And a deep olive green is among the company香蕉视频直播檚 most popular paints. Its name: Night on Earth.
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