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How can I decide whether a dark bedroom is suitable for me?
Dark interiors can influence one’s mood in a negative way. However, Carmen feels that dark bedrooms can also evoke a sense of calm as they allow the occupants to focus on their inner selves without the myriad distractions in bright rooms where everything is clamouring for attention. It all depends on homeowners’ “appetite for darkness”.
She advises them to consider things such as whether they are affected by and draw energy from the environment around them, and whether they are bothered by visible dust on surfaces. These may help them decide whether they are ready to cross over to what she lightheartedly refers to as “the dark side”.
Can a dark bedroom be transformed into a theatre?
With a proper television or projection screen, along with soundproofing, a dark bedroom has the makings of the perfect home theatre with its dim environment. Gone are the days when soundproofing solutions were more utilitarian than aesthetically pleasing.
Acoustic panels these days come in a variety of styles and some are even designed to look like art walls.
How do I incorporate a dark bedroom into my home as part of the design?
While it is true that a bright room with light-coloured walls allows light to bounce off them more readily compared to a darker room, Carmen believes that in darker rooms, dark or even black walls recede into the background, creating the illusion of less visible boundaries and hence make a room appear bigger.
To mitigate the harshness of a dark bedroom, introduce warm lighting and soft furnishing to make it cosy and inviting, like a cocooning sanctuary that is closed off from the outside world. Integrating LED light into carpentry such as open shelves help to offset some of the darkness, as do “bling” elements that also make the room feel more sophisticated. Reflective materials such as metallic laminates, mirrors and glass acrylic reflect light to make the space feel less claustrophobic. Instead of just regular walls, Carmen suggests going for dark coloured, patterned wallpaper or 3D wall panels for added visual interest and depth.
One important tip to pull off a dark bedroom is not to overwhelm it with too many visually imposing details or too much clutter. Opt for hidden storage to keep loose items out of sight.
Expert tips by Carmen Tang, Design Director, Wolf Woof
Dark bedrooms with little or no light and dark colour palettes are catching on with homeowners. Some like it because it helps them sleep better, while others enjoy the dark aesthetics and ambience.
“If the overall home interior already has a dark-coloured design theme, then incorporating dark bedrooms is simply a matter of giving the bedroom a coat of dark paint coupled with dark furniture and dark blinds or curtains,” says Carmen Tang, design director of Wolf Woof.
That said, there is no stopping homeowners from having a dark bedroom in a home with bright colours.