On the one hand, it can look dark and imposing but on the other, dark wood furniture can look superbly impressive. But for many years, we have tended to opt for lighter tones when it comes to furniture, from light beech to painted white items.
But is the tide turning, we asked? And once again, you gave us the answer.
We showed our Houzz and Instagram followers the Winchester dark wood bedroom, complete with resplendent sleigh wooden bed, and matching bedside table and dark wood wardrobe. We asked for your opinion: was this too dark and imposing? Or did it have the elegance and delight of yesteryear that turned the room from ordinary to extraordinary?
The majority agreed: dark wood is fashionable, and our Instagram followers weren’t so sure. Whilst many thought it is fashionable, there were many who believed that it should remained assigned to the past. We want to show people dark wood can look stunning and imposing, but for all the right reasons.
The Dining Room
A separate formal dining room may be falling out of favour, but the dining table isn’t. You want a dining table that is grand and elegant, and around which family and friends always feel welcome.
A large dark wood dining table you may think, is fit for a certain style of home. Those with a traditional style, with nods to bygone eras such as the ornate Georgian dining room but not for a modern dining space, where rambunctious children gather for snacks and homework.
For too long, we think that dark wood has been seen as too imposing, too dark and too ‘old-fashioned’. Using reclaimed wood, such as in the English Beam farmhouse style extendable dining table, you can see just how beautiful, elegant, robust and on-trend dark wood can be.
The Living Room
From coffee tables to nest of tables, there are all kinds of pieces that a living room needs to make it a stylish and functional space. Used well, this darker wood, industrial style display cabinet won’t cast a shadow in the living room.
But when we say, ‘used well’, what do we mean?
Colours
We know that darker colours absorb light which is why, in interior design, in smaller spaces, darker colours are used sparingly, if at all. And this is possibly why many people feel that using dark wood furniture is only suitable for larger rooms.
But with clever use of colour, dark wood needn’t take over. In the Winchester bedroom, the dark wood bed, wardrobe and bedside are the intended focal point of the room. The wall colour – a light, pleasant, barely-there sage green with crisp white glossed door frame – supports and balances the room. It is not closed in or dark. It is open, bright and beautiful.
The supporting colours on the bed – the taupe edged bedlinen, crisp white pillow cases and the dusky pink cushions – add further depth and tone to the space.
Texture
As well as colour, texture brings out the beautiful grain of the wood which is why the neutral tones rug and throw make such great additions. A white sheepskin rug, for example, would be perfect next to the bed.
Have we convinced you? Will you next purchase be a dark wood furniture item?