Dark decor makes your house a black hole, how to master the gloomy trend right according to interior pro
BLACK is back.
From walls and floors to home accessories, social media is filled with people’s dark interiors.
DIY fans are all jumping on the black bandwagon, with #blackinterior notching up 88million views on TikTok.
But interior design guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is not a fan — and warns that the trend should be treated with extreme caution.
He says: “If you have an entirely black house, it could look like you’re entering a rabbit hole or Mordor in The Lord Of The Rings.
“An all-black room could risk making your home look like a moody teenager’s bedroom, so I think interior fans need to choose very wisely.”
However, 58-year-old Laurence does give an appreciative nod to gothic glam, saying that black can be stylish.
He adds: “When used correctly, it can be super chic.
“But it’s high-maintenance and is not a colour to be messed with.”
Here, Laurence explains what to look out for when it comes to following 2024’s trend.
AVOID BLACK ON BLACK
WITH an all-black room and black accessories, you are doomed to failure.
For one thing, you will never find anything.
Black is great for showing off your accessories and can help display lighter items beautifully.
But I’ve seen people make big mistakes by adding black furniture in a room with black walls.
People may think black on black looks chic, but it’s hiding your wonderful items.
If you have black accessories, you should be looking at a white room instead.
IT’S A TOTAL DUST TRAP
YOU may think dark colours hide the dirt, but they actually bring out the dust and pet hair instead.
It will not take long for you to notice you are constantly hoovering, as any light bits of fluff or hair will instantly catch your eye.
And you will suddenly find your- self dusting the skirting boards a lot.
BEWARE BLACK FLOORING
BLACK carpet can look sophisticated and is something I have had in the past.
But as well as it being high-maintenance, you have to avoid it looking like a big black hole in the room.
A brightly coloured or pale rug in the middle is a must.
It will help avoid it looking like a coal bunker.
THERE ARE SEXIER ALTERNATIVES
IF you prefer a darker living space, there are better choices than black.
I’d use sultry colours, such as a deep aubergine or a dark blue — almost like an old-fashioned fountain pen ink colour.
It works so much better on the eyes.
It has the same dark effect, but gives a chic and luxury feel, rather than just black, black, black.
IT’S NOT DURABLE
BLACK is not as practical as colours that are in the middle of the spectrum.
I think this is why people got hung up on grey — because it’s neither black nor white, it’s less high-maintenance.
Walls, flooring and skirting gather wear and tear over time and, on black, indents and chips show up instantly.
If you have the time and patience to continuously touch these up with paint, then fine.
If not, I would steer clear.
And I’d probably rethink your white cat as well.
BANISH BLACK DOORS
NATURALLY, our eyes always look for the light at the end of the tunnel, and that is exactly what a door is.
If you have a dark room, you need some sort of contrast to make the room look bigger and not like it is closing in on you.
Having a light or all-white door can bring a room to life and help to avoid a funereal look.
IF YOU MUST GO BLACK, USE IT WISELY
MOST hallways are quite narrow and black can be used to help open them up.
I’ve seen people paint floors and skirting with black gloss, while keeping the walls pale.
It does this brilliant thing of making the floor feel much wider.
If you want a black wall, make sure you understand how to make it not look so daunting.
A black wall with nothing on it is pretty intimidating and out-there.
Think about the mirror, the wall light or whatever else is going on the wall before committing.
And consider black textured wallpaper — it’s much kinder than a flat surface.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
WITH a black interior, you’ve got to really think about lighting.
One light in the middle of the ceiling won’t cut it.
You need to light black much more because it absorbs light.
This means three corners of the room must be lit up, whether that be with a standard lamp, a wall light or picture light.
LAURENCE’S FIVE OTHER INTERIORS TRENDS TO AVOID
THE Changing Rooms presenter does not mince his words over these interiors no-nos . . .
GALLERY WALLS: I especially dislike the black-and-white wedding day pictures that have been reprinted and placed on the wall in a big lump.
If you want to use your wedding pictures, gather six or 12 within one white large border and then have a discreet gold frame.
It looks much more elegant.
ELECTRIC FIRE WALLS: I am a bit of a purist, and personally I prefer a real fire to an electric one.
If you don’t have a real fireplace, put a load of candles in the centre instead.
It’s a hell of a lot cheaper. And it’s hardly like you can toast marshmallows on an electric fire, anyway.
LEGLESS SOFAS: For goodness sake, we need more elegant, thoughtful and tailored pieces of furniture.
Everyone needs to make sure their sofa has legs.
It allows for light to come from underneath, and for a nicer visual space.
Without legs, sofas can look like an enormous burger in the living room.
TV AS CENTREPIECE: People need to be much more clever with integrating their television.
You want it to give the posh cinema feel, not be a black lump sticking out like a sore thumb.
Instead of placing the television on a wall, or in the corner of the living room, think about what’s behind and around it.
GREY KITCHENS: I still constantly see people wanting grey kitchens, but it makes the room so dull and boring.
The kitchen should be a real family focus, so we need mouth-watering colours like dark greens, with patterns in there too.
Let’s say goodbye to the grey kitchen and add really lovely, smoochy warm lighting.