This Color Trend Has Local Interior Designers Embracing the Dark

It yields a space that’s invitingly cozy, the sort of spot where you curl up with a good book and glass of wine on a cold winter’s night.

Some describe the interior design trend as dark and moody. Sean Carter, senior interior designer at Sapphire Pear in Rocky River, defines it as dark academia, a style being popularized on social media that traces its origins to 19th-century Victorian architecture and the Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 1930s.

According to Libby Palmieri Schwartz, lead designer at House of L Designs in Warrensville Heights, it’s being interpreted in rich colors such as chocolate, aubergine, pine green and ochre. Carter adds black and deep grays to the list. The appeal lies in its contrast to the bright whites and light neutrals that have dominated homes in recent years.

“When everything becomes a wash of the same, people start to say, ‘Ugh! I don’t want my house to look like everyone else’s house!’” Schwartz says. “There is a trend to this traditional movement of personalization, creating areas in a home that feel closer to the person living in the home.”     

Going to the dark side, however, takes skill and, for some, a little courage. Carter and Schwartz suggest starting small in what Schwartz describes as “an easy area to take in the color without overwhelming” that can serve as “a surprise element.”

Both recommend the powder room, typically a less-used space where people feel freer to experiment. Carter offers small full baths and spare bedrooms as alternatives, while Schwartz lists fully enclosed halls, formal living and dining rooms, and R-and-R retreats like bars and dens as options.

“This trend works best with more intimate, individual spaces,” Carter advises.

The medium of choice for beginners is affordable, DIY-friendly paint. Carter advises covering a portion of a wall, perhaps a 12-by-12-inch patch, and living with it for a week or so, observing how the color changes with the light during the day and when lamps are turned on and off at night. Those who decide to move forward may opt to paint more than the walls. 

“One of the things we’ve seen that has really taken root is color-drenching,” Schwartz says. “There’s no delineation between moldings such as casings on doors or windows, crown molding (that serves as) the transition from a wall to a ceiling. Even the ceiling sometimes gets the same allover color.” 

Carter notes that dark academia invites blending the old and new, making it a good interior-design choice for those furnishing their homes with an eclectic selection of family heirlooms, antiques and vintage finds scored in thrift shops.

“Thrifting has gotten really large, especially (among) millennials and the younger generations,” he says. “They’re just getting a little bit more thoughtful about what goes into our homes instead of buying what you would call ‘fast fashion,’ where you buy something from H&M and it only lasts you a couple of months.” 

There are pros and cons to indulging in a dark decor. Carter believes the biggest drawback is the time it takes to achieve the desired wall color with three or four coats of paint. But the advantages can eclipse the effort. 

“There’s a serenity that comes with doing a room in a darker hue,” Schwartz observes. “You enter it, and you can’t help but feel enveloped by the color which, to me, is like a grounding blanket.”

Carter says it also provides a benefit for those who prize personal appearance as much as mental and spiritual health.

“The lighting is dimmer,” he says. “Everyone in the room looks better.” 

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