Does my powder room count?

How do you read the menu, newspaper, latest book in this room?

Though it's pleasant enough to look at I too wonder how one reads the menu. I'm talking PF Chang's here. Not Sis3's powder room. But speaking of her powder room, how does one read in there?

I do love that inspiration photo! :)

First thing that I noticed was that the restaurant is careful to balance the dark black exterior with rich, warm, cozy tones of golden honey (in the wood and in the glass tiles), dark rich pumpkin orange tones and dark garnet red tones.

Plus notice the different levels and types of lighting in the photo -- task lighting (the upper can lights) and warmer table lighting (the color of the lampshades above the bar area and the candles on the actual tables) So you would have to include LOTS of different lights PLUS consider adding dimmers to the main lights in the room itself.

Just some quick first thoughts ......

Sis, that powder room is to die for and I am crazy about that sink! And it actually answers another part of the post that I neglected to mention. While I love the darkness of PF Changs, I am also drawn to white mouldings. You seem to have incorporated both. But what mouldings would you use for the PF Changs look? And if you do choose to forgo white mouldings in order to keep with the dark theme, is it possible to still use the white mouldings in other rooms? For instance, if I did dark moulding and a dark door for our master bedroom, wouldn't it look a little strange if the other side of the door was white with white moulding? Identity crises!

My older sister told me the first sign that you need bifocal glasses is complaining that restaurants are too dark. I guess ynnej is too young to worry about that.

I have a black hallway; and growing up our library had black grasscloth wallpaper, and still has a black sofa and walnut woodwork and furniture. The floor is lighter to balance some of it out and the key to the whole thing is that you need more lighting than you would in a space with less saturated color.

My PF Chang's looks that dark...
but there is NO problem reading the menu, as they have addressed that with lights that illuminate the tables well.

Same idea in my powder room. There are tiny black spot lights that create small pools of light where they are needed or for for dramatic effect, in addition to the 'raindrop' sconces on each side of the vanity mirror. All are on dimmers.
So no problem for anyone who wants to read in there, justgotobeme! :-)

I recently went to PF Chang's for the first time, with friends that suggested the place. My friend mentioned that the chain is known for it's dark atmosphere.

It was definitely not my thing. Now I have to get back to painting my living room stark white, lol.

Both PF Chang's and Cheesecake Factory are a 'feast' for the eyes(and yummy food)! I also love dark interiors, but think it can be achieved with ambient lighting. I have warm tan walls, and using only lamps with 40 watt bulbs, get a very similar look and feeling. I also have ceiling fixtures in these rooms, but they're on dimmers so get the same ambience w/o the lamps being on. ;o)

I'd have no problem with a dark bedroom or dining room. A den would also be cozy if dark. I'd want the bathroom that I use to put makeup on to be lighter and I would not want a dark kitchen ....
I guess it is about which room is dark and if one uses the room at night or in the daytime. In our house, there is a ton of natural light during the day, all by design. We have skylights, a solatube, 5 ft eyebrow window, cathedral ceilings, white wts (but those are mostly retracted during the day, white kitchen cabs and perky colors. At night, I like dimmer lighting for a cozier, moodier, feel. I like feeling cocooned in the eves. Our dining room and den are painted a rich purple (Purple Rain by BM) in an open layout and it makes those areas feel more relaxing. I also love rainy days and how nice it is to read or take a long bath in the dimmer light.
Darker rooms are more romantic and just very intimate. I also think that transitioning to darkness at night helps one to go to sleep when it is time. It is important to give your body the rhythm of changing amounts of light. Many scientific studies back that up. If someone works nights or odd hours, then they need to work their environments to compensate if possible.

I expect the photo makes the room look darker than it is when one is actually in it. My LR is fairly dark at night altho I have many lighting options so it's easy to read when I want to. I really like it when I only use the low wattage lamps as it's very warm and cosy, almost cave-like (in a good way). During the day it's bright as there are windows on 3 sides and a skylight.

Apparently dark rooms are the new thing! I just saw this today in my Houzz newsletter!
This is one of my favorite rooms that was featured too!

[contemporary kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by boston architect LDa Architecture & Interiors

Here is a link that might be useful: [Dark and Regal Kitchens[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/dark-and-regal-kitchen-designs-stsetivw-vs~857780)

I used to have a dark room. Very dark barn wood walls, dark flooring, dark woods. It felt wonderfully cozy in the winter and blech in the summer. Lighting is indeed the key. Lamps for reading especially.

I love dark, moody spaces because they always feel so mysterious and cozy. I like the reveal as you walk through the room.

Most people, though, seem to gravitate to a lot of light.

Our LR is on the dark side although I didn't plan on it. We have to have at least one lamp on.

When the room was being built and had the concrete floors and uncovered windows, it was sooo bright and cheery, I just loved it! OTOH, our old LR was the same way.

Once the shutters went in and the dark floors laid, along with the leaves on all the Oaks outside, that's when the room turned darkish. Of course dark furniture adds to it. lol.

I love it. In the summer I close the shutters on hot days, turn a few lamps on and pretend it's cold outside.

I'll never forget the day many years ago I went to a friend's house after they remodeled and I walked into their LR, and she had a lamp on next to her chair because it was so dark! I fell in love with darkness in the daytime in that moment.

The rest of the house is bright so I get my share of light, but I've noticed as I've gotten older I'm more of a nester. I like cozy. Good books, hot chocolate, big dog.... :)

dalmadarling, I saw the same thing
from houzz. Glad you brought it to the post.

Changs decor sez to me we will eat in peace and with quiet voices whether it is so or not there. In a room at home it would condition the occupants to that sensory level that would center them and they would be drawn to it with an overstuffed chair a need to ponder or read a book. Very cozy, plesant atmosphere for 1 or 2 gentle souls.