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Dark Colored Bedrooms

18 days ago
last modified: 18 days ago

I have decided, after several years of research, thought and scrutiny of many inspiration photos, to go dark in my master bedroom. Dark green with a white ceiling and a walk-in closet with mirrored doors. (The latter were not my choice; the circa 1978 home came with them and I have to wait and save up more to re-do them. But maybe I can do something without the massive expense of replacing them like a mold design or antiquing them or perhaps wallpaper. I'll see.)

Those of you who have gone dark in the bedroom: have you ever tired of it? I have light gray LVP flooring and I am considering this comforter as my home is green and white. There is one window across from the mirrored doors that makes this room feel light. The bedroom faces, I think, south, despite being west. (I am in Santa Barbara, CA, where a peculiar natural geography makes the ocean south rather than west.)

Comments (22)

  • 18 days ago

    Buy the bedding first and test paint samples with it in mind. On my screen the bedding looks minty and you don't want it to clash with your dark green paint selection.

    Aphaea thanked Kendrah
  • 18 days ago

    Just a note there are tons of DIY mirror door makeovers online if you wanted to tackle it

    Aphaea thanked la_la Girl
  • 17 days ago

    Yes, get the bedding first and try larger paint samples with it.

    Aphaea thanked thinkdesignlive
  • 17 days ago

    As la la Girl pointed out there are a lot of DIY solutions for mirrored closet doors, you can even paint them if you prime first with a high adhesion primer.

    Aphaea thanked K Laurence
  • 17 days ago

    Painting the ceiling white with dark green walls is too sharp a contrast. Not what you’re going for.

    Aphaea thanked jinwpg
  • PRO
    17 days ago

    You can see from these examples that there are an infinite colors of GREEN. Pick the linens first, and then coordinate your wall color taking your cue from the linens.










    Aphaea thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • 16 days ago

    Agree that a white ceiling will ruin the dramatic effect of a dark painted room.

    Aphaea thanked RedRyder
  • 16 days ago
    last modified: 16 days ago

    I think using your dark green on the ceiling as well is a better way to go.

    It's much less expensive to replace linens, and far less disruptive to daily life, than it is to repaint an entire room, especially one you spend time in every single day. I almost never disagree with Beverly, but I say pick the paint color you want to be surrounded by first, paint your walls and ceiling, and then use your room for at least a few weeks, regardless of what bedding you have at the moment. That will give a much better idea of what you'd like to replace your current bedding with.

    I suspect most pros here would disagree with me, but I think my way is far more practical.

    Aphaea thanked amystoller
  • 16 days ago

    I love all your comments. Yes, I'm not crazy about a white ceiling, which is what it is now. (The walls are the cheap "wood" paneling used in the late 1970s. They will be seam coated, primed and painted.) The ceiling is only eight feet tall and I am uncertain about it being as dark as the paint I have chosen. It is a dark emerald. The original paint was lighter though still rich--it actually matched my sofas--but I felt it was too light for the effect I was going for. So she went back, they removed the white and now it is darker, moodier, but not as dark as the more blackish green. I like it though I admit having the ceiling done in it too makes me a bit .nervous. Do you think doing so could make it. well, unpleasant? Too cozy? Would a lighter shade of the same paint be better? Or is there another idea I am not thinking of?


    Patricia, I love that all gray room. It is, however, much larger than my bedroom and the ceiling looks higher. Argh! I am usually so decisive. Why am I so wishy-washy and uncertain with this? I am even lightly considering going with the Chantilly Lace I have elsewhere (or maybe light green) as a cowardly move. Help. I do immensely value the opinions here.


    I currently have a dark emerald bedspread and I am thinking of keeping that. I have three black cats so a white with say, dark green stripes around the edge would soon begin to look ragged, I suspect.


    As for the mirrored doors, I will check out ideas online. I did ask my painter about painting at least the (painful to me) shiny gold "frames" holding the mirrored part in place but she said it would eventually look bad. (I trust my painter's opinion.)

  • 16 days ago

    How about using the same color for the ceiling but have it lightened up a bit? 25%, 50%? Something to consider since you have qualms about it…..

    Aphaea thanked K Laurence
  • 16 days ago

    ^^^ I like K Laurence's idea, too. Do you have one of those paint chips that shows several degrees of a color from darkest to lightest? That might give you an idea for a how a lighter version of your dark green would look.


    I do think doing the ceiling dark would be most dramatic. But it takes a pretty big leap of faith, doesn't it?

    Aphaea thanked amystoller
  • 16 days ago
    last modified: 16 days ago

    K Laurence and Amy, I do have a big lot of paint chips of all colors from my painter. In fact, she and I just talked now. She feels going that dark emerald on the walls and ceiling is best--and I agree. That is what I am doing. And I feel confident about it. (I have a very large canvas print of Hopper's NIGHTHAWKS work and it should look fantastic over the bed with the color.) She is also looking into seeing if there is anything that can make the overly shiny gold of the closet door frames less "blingy." The upper and lower cabinets in the master bathroom will also be done in the same dark green color as will the closet interior; there is good light in the closet.

    Here are the realtor's original pictures of the bedroom and bathroom. Of course, the bathtub, wallpaper and carpeting are long gone. As I mentioned the bedroom walls will be seam coated to get rid of the lines between the panels.

    Thank you all so much! Any more thoughts and/or ideas are most welcome. I am quite excited about it now.

    ETA: A (now, not then) amusing note. In the first picture look closely at the top of the corner walls between the window and bathroom door. You'll see a tiny white smidge. Before I moved in, thankfully, my friend pointed it out to the contractors and asked why anyone would put a smoke alarm up there. "It's not a smoke alarm," he said, "it's a camera." YIKES! You can bet it came down right away.









  • 16 days ago

    You can paint the frames of the closet doors with paint made for adhering to metal and you can cover the glass with static cling window film or peel and stick grasscloth wall covering.

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=peel+and+stick+grasscloth+wallpaper&language=en_US&crid=3IDYOA0USGM2E&linkCode=sl2&linkId=a1301000b5dbec8fc92be790bb1b416e&sprefix=peel+and+stick+grasscloth%2Caps%2C124&tag=refinedroomsl-20&ref=as_li_ss_tl


    Aphaea thanked Jennifer Hogan
  • 16 days ago

    Thanks, Jennifer, Dina, the painter, is looking into that. I am going to hold off on making a decision about doing anything on the mirrored doors themselves until I have lived with the new dark bedroom for a few months. But great idea.

  • 16 days ago

    I was late to the party on this post, but I think you will truly enjoy the dark green bedroom.


    I lived in San Diego and used dark colors in several rooms in my home and loved them.

    I moved to Central PA where there are a lot more rainy, cloudy days and because it is cold, windows are smaller. When I tried the colors I used in San Diego they felt so dark and oppressive. I needed lighter colors here in most of the house, but still used something fairly dark in the bedrooms.


    Aphaea thanked Jennifer Hogan
  • 16 days ago

    Instead of paint on the gold closet doors, you should look into Rub 'n Buff. It comes in a wide array of colors and is meant to be used on metal to change the color. Once it dries, it's not going to come off. It looks like you get good light in the room so I think color drenching the whole thing would be lovely.

    Aphaea thanked katinparadise
  • 16 days ago

    Oh, thank you so much, Kat. I will look into that!

  • PRO
    15 days ago

    Do what you love in a bedroom it can be quite cozy and dark no problem you sleep there dark works . It is just paint when you get down to it and BTW my bedroom where I did dark gray had only 8' ceiling no issue . I always like my bedroom to even be a toatally different style too It is your private space do what you love

    Aphaea thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 15 days ago

    Thanks, Patricia! It will certainly be new to me but exciting, I think. I'll do the paint and wait a few months before thinking about anything else. The guest bedroom is up to be seam coated and painted next. It will be more of a sage green, something like BM's Kennebunkport Green (but lighter?) that will highlight the attached guest bathroom shower floor and counter tile. But the rest of the house--the living room, den, alcove and kitchen are all BM Chantilly Lace. Plus there are lots of windows. So I believe the going dark, even on the ceiling, will be fantastic. I'll be sure to post pictures. And I appreciate everyone's suggestions, thoughts and input.

  • 15 days ago

    I love dark bedrooms and being enveloped in a rich color when it's time to turn in. Same thing with sheets.


    I have one of my bedrooms painted BM Fairmont Green. I am very happy with it. The ceiling is white, but I may have that re-done in wood planks if DH ever gets around to doing the ceilings in the other rooms. (woodsy-themed house and all...)

    Aphaea thanked porkchop_z5b_MI
  • 15 days ago

    Porkchop, BM Fairmont Green is a nice one. I've bookmarked that as a guest room possibility.