Decorate In The Dark

If you've been rockin' with me on this crazy ride called social media, then you know that it's no secret, I love BLACK!

I mean.... I really, really love black! It's been a color that has spoken to me since I was a kid. So imagine now, being what they like to call an "adult", seeing it finally welcomed in the interior design world.

Us lovers of the color have long been shunned as 'weird' 'different' and 'dark' ... so it's about time we got a little love.

I recently posted on my instagram page, about incorporating the color in my design for numerous reasons. The number one reason in my book is how calming these colors are for me. As an entrepreneur, and restaurant owner, I'm constantly ripping and running. With this comes a lot of interaction with people and energy. So, I find that when I come home, I want to take the day off.

Dimmable lights. and moody spaces are the perfect calm to the daily storm.

Sine this part of the living room has a wood burning fireplace that I use quite frequently, I wanted to compliment this vibe with a mood.

I painted the walls, and ceilings, to give a super dramatic affect in the space.

In doing this, it creates corners, and spots that pair perfect when the sun hits during the day. Allowing the room to still feel calm and peaceful, even during the middle of the afternoon.

I always try to compliment most of the darker rooms in my home, with pops of natural elements like wood, textured decor or plants.

-wall color Night Watch Green from PPG

There is common misconception when using darker colors in your home, that lighter colors are absent. In my case, I find that using black as a base, I'm able to actually use lighter colors better than if I were to have traditional white walls.

These brighter colors also have a better chance of standing out as well. Since brighter colors like white are already on the lighter side, adding even more bright color can become a competition in the room. So, for people like myself who can get easily overwhelmed with too many lighter colors, darker bases balance any other color that I decide to use.

Contrary to what most think, there are a few pops of white in my home, however, I make sure to pair them with another color. This works best for me in this room, that way the white is actually treated it as an accent color.

In my Golden Room, I used both black and white in a vertical stripe pattern to bring some dynamic, and fun into the space. By adding the black base at the top, and making the vertical lines black as well, it allows the color white to be a team player, instead of the main character.

Giving smaller rooms a fun pattern, or moody dark wallpaper, gives a very luxe feeling. Not to say that white rooms don't work, I just find that they work best in larger spaces with a ton of natural light. Also, natural light can also help soften the sterile effect that white walls have a tendency to bring.

So with most of us who are in older homes, that don't have a ton of access to

natural light, we have to be a little more creative

with how we bring personality into our

homes Ceramic floor lamp from Jungalow x Target Collection

Don't be afraid to tackle those walls, AND, ceilings. Painting your ceilings can give one of the most dramatic vibes to a room. It doesn't matter the size, or the decor style, I will always have at least one or two ceilings that are painted in any place I live.

You can even go a step further, and add wood paneling, or decorative trim if you want to go with a more classic / victorian type look.

One of my favorite, and every evolving project, is the Ancestor Hallway I did.

Using the black painted board and batten method for the lower half of the wall, wood paneled ceiling and patterned wallpaper, gives this hallway a super boutique feel.

When starting the hallway project, I wanted to feel as though I was transported. I notice that some of my favorite boutique hotels, and restaurants, have this same design style. So reaching back to some of my favorite locations and destinations, was the inspiration for the look.

Warri Palms Wallpaper from Chasing Paper x Shade Akanbi Collection

I will forever be a lover of dark and timeless spaces, and am so thankful to have the opportunity to share it with you guys. This is a blog topic that will most certainly have a pt.2 and pt. 3 ....

For me decor, is a forever evolving subject, something that changes constantly over time depending on where I am in life. So don't be discouraged if you haven't found the style that speaks to you. I find that when people mention not being able to find what works for them, it just means it quite possibly has to be created, by you!

Take inspiration from the things that bring you happenings, and bring you the most emotion.

Start experimenting, moving things around and taking risk. The spaces that I have taken the most risk with, often time end up being my favorite spots in the home.

So, until next time tribe... keep creating!