Designing with dark colors can be a bit of a leap for most people. Where white walls feel time-tested and comfortable, designing dark can feel like a huge commitment and even a little risky. But when done right, a dark color palette can lend sophistication, mystique and even a calming vibe to your home.
Living at the base of a mountain in Colorado Springs, Arianna Danielson’s home is filled with a rich tapestry of textures. Woven objects, macramé details, plants, and paintings fill nearly every corner of the house. The vibe is undoubtedly bohemian, and eclectically mid-century modern, dialed to just the right degree of freeform and meticulous. But what really makes her stunning home stand out is her ability to work in a densely saturated color palette of moody tones while still making the space feel warm and welcoming. How does she strike such a tenuous balance? We asked and she answered.
“So many people doubted us when we told them we were going dark, and not just dark but black, and not just the walls, but the ceilings too!” – Arianna
While she does have white walls in her home, she’s always been inclined to cover them with good art, thereby adding to the variance of the color palette. A self-described “maximalist,” she believes in filling her space with everything she loves – no limits! As such, her home is positively packed with a rich array of colors, mostly from artwork and decor items she’s collected (some of which she sells in her online shop Wicker & Woven.)
Her master bedroom is where Arianna really took the plunge with black paint.
“I feel like Pinterest and Instagram are just filled with little white, neutral squares and I knew right away that wasn’t for me… The black paint was the perfect, sultry touch for our master bedroom, (which is a kid-free zone,)” Arianna explains. “And we love retreating to our little in-home getaway after the kids go to bed.”
For Arianna, home is where one should feel comfortable, safe, and inspired. Filling her home with dark, earthy tones and things she loves allows her to achieve all three, so the design is almost a no-brainer. Her choice tip for anyone who may be flirting with the idea of taking on a darker interior design is to just go for it.
“Nothing compares to the way color pops in a dark room!” She exclaims. But she goes on to point out that texture and layers are an absolute must-have when styling a room in dark shades. The added dimension not only creates a sense of depth, but also allows you to mix things up, easily switch out paintings or details, and therefore keep the space feeling vibrant and fresh.
Ready to design with dark tones?
