DEEP & DARK

DEEP & DARK
Use winter hues in a way that’s cozy, not chilling.

The Associated Press

Published Sunday, September 21, 2008

Chocolate brown, midnight blue, deep scarlet, black. Deep colors are welcoming and cozy, perfect for fall and winter.

"I really like that warm, enveloping feeling that using layers of dark colors can give you," designer Mallory Mathison said. Here’s some advice from Mathison, Brian Patrick Flynn and Janine Carendi on using dark colors without creating a black hole:

CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROOM

In large rooms, Flynn said, dark colors are a great problem-solver. The sprawling size and high ceilings of living rooms in newer houses can make a home feel impersonal.

Deep colors add warmth and coziness, he said, especially if you opt to paint the walls and ceiling the same rich color. These large rooms are often flooded with natural light, which helps to balance dark walls or furniture.

But large, well-lit rooms aren’t your only option: Carendi said dark colors can be dramatic in tiny spaces with little natural light. She uses them to add glamour to hallways and small bathrooms.

DON’T MAKE EVERY ELEMENT DARK

Contrast is key: "Define the room with a perimeter of brightness," said Mathison, by balancing dark walls with light-colored molding. Besides adding brightness, Flynn said, light-colored paint will highlight the beauty of intricate molding against a dark background. Dark walls also can be leavened by pale window treatments.

REFLECTIONS

If you’re painting walls dark, consider using high-gloss paint rather than a flat or eggshell finish, the experts said. Glossy paint reflects light, multiplying it and adding sparkle to the room.

Next, add elements that reflect light: Think gleaming chrome mirrors, crystal lamps or a clear, acrylic coffee table, Mathison said.

If a full-scale conversion to the dark side is too much, you can always try a few splashes of deep color. Try painting the inside of a bookcase a dark shade but leaving the outside white or light-colored.