When working with small spaces, the majority of decorating advice tends to veer towards all-white in regards to wall colours. The thought process behind this is that white walls reflect the most light and can make a space feel large and airy. While this makes sense in theory, the way light interacts with white walls is often rather predictable; as white absorbs no light, there is no nuance to its hue. There’s something to be said for the moody appeal that comes with dark walls, particularly for areas of your house that don’t need to appear quite so airy; entryways, hallways, studies, libraries, and bedrooms.
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Whilst it may seem counterintuitive, dark walls can also make a room appear larger, albeit in a different way to white walls. Rather than reflecting light, dark walls visually recede, essentially blurring the edges of the room. By absorbing light, the walls, edges, and corners of a room are less clearly defined, giving off an illusion of more space. Better still, dark walls give off a dramatic dynamism you just can’t get from an all-white room. Dark walls make an ideal choice for bedrooms, adding sex appeal and oozing luxury while ensuring your bedroom is clearly demarcated from the rest of your home.
Words by Theo Rosen
Feature image courtesy of House Beautiful
