How to Decorate a Living Room with Dark Furniture

Dark furniture can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can add a rich elegance to a room. On the other, it can make a space dull and uninviting if it’s not accented correctly. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to decorating with dark furniture.

Dark Furniture Living Room Paint Colors

 If you have dark furniture, stay away from dark walls. When selecting a color, you should choose something with medium contrast and remain lighter than the furniture itself. Here are some colors that you may want to consider:

 1.    White

White is both versatile and neutral. White will brighten and lighten up your interior. That said, I recommend against pure white. Instead, you should consider the tones of your furniture to see which shade of white you should use. For example, for furniture with yellow or reddish color tones, you can consider using a creamy white with a yellow base.

2.    Grey

Grey is elegant and provides the perfect contrast. There are a variety of shades to choose from, which means you can customize your choice based on how dark your furniture is.

3.    Blue

Blue is one of the most popular colors in the world. This is a great color to select if you want to make your room feel cool and modern. Depending on the shade, blue can blend with dark furniture or give it the contrast it needs to pop. 

4.    Gold

Gold is another color that blends easily with dark furniture. I suggest adding gold accents likes frames and end tables with gold finishes.

How to Mix Light Furniture with Dark Furniture

Mixing dark woods and light woods can be challenging. However, it can be done tastefully. If you’re going to do it, here’s what I recommend.

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• Select common undertones on either the warm or cool-toned side. When you combine wood with the same undertones, you keep the room from feeling too disconnected.

• Use each wood twice, so nothing looks too out of place.

• Select a unique wood (i.e., reclaimed timber) that incorporates both light and dark. This can act as a bridge between both light and dark woods in your room and help pull everything together.

How to Make Dark Furniture Look More Modern

When you’re decorating with dark furniture, you’ll want to spend some time lightening up the space around it. You can do this in several ways.

• Add drapery or accessories in certain colors

  • Ex: yellow in the summers and plum in the winter

• Contrast with white or cream walls

• Avoid dark-colored ceilings

• Use ambient lighting with lamps (instead of overhead lighting)

• Illuminate the room with as much natural light as possible

• Hang mirrors to maximize the natural illumination in the room

• Embellish the space with real or artificial foliage

  • Be sure the artificial plants you select are realistic!

• Dress your shelves for contrast

  • This could include bright shades, metallics, greenery, flowers, etc.

Final Thoughts

Keeping up with the trends can feel challenging. Let Redesigned Classics help! Read How to Decorate a Living Room with a Fireplace next.