Style It Dark

It’s the time of year when interiors embrace the dark side and so our latest inspiration board combines the idea of big bold florals, jewel tones and inky accents.

The key to this look is to build the palette up with either a large scale print or rich colour as the basis. Artwork and exquisite decorations are important to create a space with depth and interest. The floral piece shown here is an original painting from our design archive and we think its beauty is enhanced against some of our darker Bell Twist shades with the combination bringing some cosiness into the scheme. The backdrop of a deep purple, combined with rich tones and layers of coloured fabrics which pick up the details in the print work really well together. Adding texture is perfect to stop large scale florals being too feminine or dark patterns being too overpowering so carpet is a great choice if this is a style you wish to explore. Velvet fabrics or carpets are a good way to add grown up grandeur and glamour to a room too.

You can experiment with this theme by using a statement wall or bold carpet and then painting accompanying walls in a lighter colour however sometimes the braver the better. If a room is small then there can be a temptation to play it safe with light bright colours but the ‘Style it Dark’ ethos is to embrace the space you do have and using the same dark shade on every surface can actually make the overall room feel bigger, not smaller. If you do go for the all over look try to find a tone within the pattern and match that elsewhere in the room. Don’t be afraid to add dark colours to the woodwork and even the ceiling too.

Our Majestic Polished Silver is a versatile velvet carpet that has been used here to give an all over grey finish to this drawing room while showing off the beautiful furniture and flowers. We also love how A Model Recommends paired her Timorous Beasties Noir Ruskin Butterfly with grey walls and used wooden furniture for effect to modernise her Georgian house.

This style isn’t just about grey though, we’ve seen it using navy, black and even deep purples which are likely inspired by “Ultra Violet” – Pantone’s Colour of the Year. If you think a new carpet could be on the cards for you then our latest 'Carpets by Colour' guide allows you to see all shades and styles of Brintons in one simple chart. Or take a look at our Choosing Your Carpet page and select some samples to be delivered to your door.