Black is my favorite color. Do you have any inspiration photos so we can see what style you are interested in? I have a black wallpapered in my bedroom but would have no problem doing all four walls black. I see this room in your Idea book. I think this room would look great either way.

haha that's my inspo photo, but its only a feature wall, which is why im nervous going all in, and i cant find any other photos that go all 4 walls,I'm thinking neutral velvet curtains, large light neutral bound rug, its south window so no direct sun , ( we are southern hemisphere) this photo isnt black but dark

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@Joski McWoods Here is a bedroom with all black walls and a wood ceiling. Click on the "more" button to see more views. A large wall sculpture dominates over the bed.

@ilikefriday too… I like the way the black appliances in my kitchen bring out the grain in my 1970s mid-tone oak cabinets. I can definitely feel the lure of the dark side of the pallette. Joski, your hubby being a joiner… How marvelous that you choose a color to show off his work. At least that's how I am filling in the blanks to this love story.

So I have to ask you both if you have tips to make it work. There are a few articles I have saved on dark rooms. Here is what little I have learned:

1. Use satin or eggshell finish if you want to give the walls a velvety glow.

2. Use lots of lighting. I don't know of any formula. What do you think? Twice as much?

3. Create focal points with light or bright colors, even white. Also can accent with white, light, or bright. I used white baseboard, crown moulding, ceiling, doors, vanity top and toilet in a very dark navy bathroom. The whole inspiration there was my husband insisting on white towels and toilet. I thought the optimal way to keep the blah out was to go dark with the wall color, and I love navy and white like in delftware. 

So, as I think about your situation, with your beautiful woodwork to go with the black walls. Do you just want to let the woodwork be star of the show?  Or do you want to create other focal points, like your bed, a view out the window, a piece of art you love?

Let's say you want to do the usual thing and let your bed be a focal point… Apologies if I just insulted you. 🥴 And the picture I found for you did not…had art and a jazzy rug instead. If you wanted, you could have art, a tapestry, wall sculpture, fantasy lighting, or even shelving around the head of the bed, and leave the bed spread less exciting mid-tone to dark. Or you could have the bedspread steal the show and be the thing that draws attention. Somehow I don't see the latter working as well, do you? Your home is showcasing your husband's craft. You could allow it to showcase craftsmanship as a broader theme, or natural materials as a broader theme. I like the latter. 

If you also like the latter, I suggest you go with the all-black walls and neutral ceiling approach you took in the kitchen. Did you have all wood ceiling in the lounge part too?  I like your use of brick in the kitchen. I had to zoom in to see if you had a fur throw by the door and see it is instead your dog. Apologies to the dog. See how nicely his black muzzle looks? Black walls do that. Isn't it fun? How ever did you manage to put together your kitchen in this white HOUZZ world? Never mind. 

So, your dog inspired me too. How about a fur-look throw on your bed? How about leather or suede in your bedroom somewhere, perhaps a bench or chair to put on socks? How about a little wicker or rattan as in a laundry basket? I am thinking of some materials of interest that would seem natural in your room.

And if you don't want a sculpture, art, or tapestry or draperies or shelving around your bed, how about a little wood trim to add texture. Painted or not... Would hubby approve?

I like the way you transitioned from black to wood to a slightly lighter neutral to a few touches of white or what I think is white. Far less jarring than black and white starkness. For your ceiling, if you don't have wood, I wonder about a mid-tone tan or muddy grey... Something mid-way between black and wood. 

Well, I think your project is fun. I don't have strong opinions about what you "should" do. I hope you will let me participate and explore ideas with you. I feel I could learn a lot in the process. 

Cheers ladies...

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Holy cow, you have to click a couple times but there are tons of pictures with the "more" button. It's supposed to be "industrial" style, which has always been hard for me. But the pictures show the whole house! Except the exterior. Which brings me to what kind of style is your house? Traditional? Contemporary? Something in-between? You're in the southern hemisphere and I am in the northern, so I imagine yours to be different from our traditional. I'm just curious, as I don't think it matters much.

Thanks KL, you hit the nail on the head. looking at my kitchen i love the light timber ceiling,(the celing was rotten so we used spare pine we had, so bring in a warm neutral colour in the bedroom ceiling will do the same thing, the house is 150ys old, and a labor of love, we are slowly doing it ourselves, the bricks in the kitchen are original, it's a coal range that was covered in painted tongue n groove, when we pulled the surround off and saw the brickwork we knew we had to redesign the kitchen around it, the heart of the home as they say, still waiting to rip open my old hot water cylinders and hammer our the copper for the splash back across the kitchen.

the kitchen lounge dining and office, was 8 months work. now we are rather low on funds, well approved debt:) but I have everything for the bedroom except paint and curtain fabric and that's doable, im not waiting any longer my walk-in walnut robe is ready to go and I want to move it. 20 years of saving materials have been worth it. so i can't screw up the last step..... choosing the bedroom color to complete marvelous cohesion.

yes, my hubbys craftsmanship is really the focal point for the bedroom, my bed was my wedding present made from NZ totara. its stunning with paua (abalone) inlay . but never had the space to be the focal point with all the dressers n draws and side tables crammed in a light pink room. so we eliminated a single room and created a walk-in and ensuite, (ensuite is still awaiting the next $$$ to appear) but i can do the master. black would showcase the bed and the door to the wardrobe will be a sliding timber raw edge slab. yes and right on point, i have the leather chair, velvet curtains ill make, and triple hanging pendant old glass style, in the corner they are low light, and chandler style in the middle so there can be lots of light if need be, and over bed lights for reading, (my hubby falls asleep reading and I get up to turn off his lamp, so this room will have lights and switches above the bed so I can just lift my arm to turn his off. my side table will be an old singer sewing machine table. because i love it and have no extra room in my house, and lots of little draws would be great besides the bed

we are honoring the tradition of the house but it's not very traditional if that makes sense.

all brass tap wear and switches (or brass look)

well spotted, I realized the bedroom color pallet ( and kitchen) is our darling Roman dogs coat. actually, our fence is as well, hahaha, we do love him.

and yes the kitchen is half Spanish white, its a very soft cream,

thanks for your comments, I'm feeling brave now to just do it. at the end of the day if I can't handle it, it's just a few extra coats of paint.

wish me luck, I'm going in :)

I also have black kitchen cabinets as well as a black accent wall in my kitchen/ dining room. Now you make me want to bring more woods into my space. Maybe butcher block countertops. I love your creativity. The ceiling is amazing. What a phenomenal wedding present the bed must have been.

@KL

I like contrasting colors on dark walls. I have a large pink painting over a blue fireplace, surrounded by a black wall. The painting and fireplace pop. In my kitchen I have a black wall with a huge mural and white baseboards. I'm not sold on the white baseboards. I don't think you can follow every rule for every room and I tend to not follow most. IMO the most fabulous rooms break many rules.

I like light from several sources no matter the color of the walls. IMO if your room is too dark it has more to do with your lights than your paint. Just turn one on. I know some colors absorb more light but in that case just have more light sources available.

In terms of paint sheen, I typically use flat or matte but would consider high gloss if I had the right space.

I love navy walls. Can you post some photos of your space?

Here are some rooms with all the walls painted black.

Following this adventure, as I hope you’ll post photos of the bedroom (would love to see that bed!) as you work through this project. I love your vision!

Also following this intriguing project.

I'd do black accents vs. black paint. Here we did a master bedroom with a reclaimed wood headboard, a teal accent wall, and black/teal/yellow/gray bedding.

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We went a bit eclectic with the Airstream-inspired black nightstands, but you could easily do modern black nightstands, too.

thanks team, yes ill update photos, the room now look simply awful, so the before and afters and in-betweens will grand, @ilikefriday i love the simple gold detail on the bottom of the moulding. as im a brass gal this will work beautifully, here's hoping my hands steady enough

@Joski McWoods gold pin-striping is a fabulous idea! Thanks to @ilikefriday for that picture and to you for spotting it! I have a child's rocking chair that is black with a decal and gold trim. The old Singer sewing machines were black with gold trim. Is yours? 

I wholeheartedly applaud your attitude about paint!

Like @Jj J Id love to see the bed frame you talked about, especially some close-ups of the detail work.

@Joski McWoods, I'm very interested in your hammered copper backsplash. Once again, you found a skillcraft and material to highlight! How ever were you able to be so creative and inspired in this era of all-white shaker cabinets, and white subway tile? What made you think of copper? What are the plusses and minuses do you think?

@Joski McWoods what do you think about using Spanish white on the hallway adjacent to your bedroom instead of in your bedroom as more conservative designers will suggest? Repeating the kitchen Spanish white? Contrasting with the black walls of the bedroom, and lightening up the hallways to accentuate the pathways of the home. It seems so natural to me. I like to travel lit wooded pathways but cozy up in dark safe glens.

What color velvet are you using for the bedroom draperies? What bedspread color were you thinking of? Will you be dressing your bed in the modern style or traditional? I can't quite get the hang of the modern style so would appreciate your thoughts there. Area rug?

@ilikefriday thanks for your interest in our recent bathroom renovation with the dark navy walls and white trim. I am a fan of your artistic approach to interior design, and that's why I follow you. Here are some pictures and the link to the project: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6196804/new-bathroom-on-main-floor

@Joski McWoods will the copper backsplash develop a turquoise colored patina over time? If so, how will you embrace it, design-wise?

no can't do the blue, ill buff it back to rustic looking and seal it to stop oxidization. in theory ,

i cant afford area rugs that are large enough,(or the right size) so I go to the carpet shop and look through their offcuts, find a size and colour that suits and have it bound. my 2.5x3.5 in the lounge was $230 all up. this one will be slightly larger.

@KL

I love your bathroom! It is divine. I am drawn to entryways that open up to magnificent walls like your arches do. It appears to be a huge bathroom. Yes, I do love artistic and creative spaces, and people who are able to think outside the box. Dark walls make some paintings pop. That is why I love them. Now I must check out your link.

@KL

I scanned the photos of your project. You really documented from start to finish. You did a fantastic job and had extraordinary vision! I love that tub surrounded by all the plants. Your bathroom would be my dream. And your kitchen is perfect! The question is, how do YOU survive in this Houzz space where so many people are attached to their white paint?

Now I will stalk your profile for more photos of your spaces. Living room??? Dining room???? 🙂 The photos of your bathroom project were a treat.

Wow, Joski McWoods, the abalone inlay on your headboard is lovely!

I agree. the inlay is beautiful. I cannot wait to see the copper backsplash. It sounds fantastic too.

@kl23 wow! your kitchen, how gorgeous !!! absolutely love it. beautiful

@Joski McWoods I am starting to understand that you and hubby are very handy. Sand the counters, seal the copper... I've often thought it would be fun to make rag rugs out of all my old blue jeans. Never did it. I admire that you follow through! 

I love the idea of grey velvet draperies for your black-walled bedroom. Transition from blackness to bright white...why, grey, of course! So logical and natural. 

My kitchen is gorgeous? I mean I think it's ok, but I'm just getting ideas for the renovation. Are you sure you have the right photo? I use those idea books for inspiration photos and, well, ideas. YOUR kitchen is the really cool one. ☺️

@ilikefriday the tub with all the plants belongs to @Kelly Kay. She was very supportive during the project. She was trying to show me how I could make my teak bench fit in with other bathroom objects in teak. 

Anyway, during my project, sometimes I felt like I was posting to myself, much like keeping a project diary. Then someone would chime in. It was fun. My project for renovating the upstairs is next, but I got stuck at work being too busy. So I started the kitchen renovation project post. I have some homework to do for that too. I have so much work to do I need to wind down to go to sleep. HOUZZ is a creative escape. 

So, ladies in dark... I hope to see lots more of you. Would love your input. I will follow you, and maybe you'll follow me? And give me some advice.

Thanks for sharing photos of the bedframe. The hearts are so sweet!  Maybe you would be interested in some mother of pearl tile for the bathroom? You know...to repeat the abolone. I love mother of pearl because it has so many colors but is a natural substance, so... It fits like a neutral.

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@ilikefriday you asked how I survive in a white paint world. Good question for all of us. I just read that Martha Stewart has reinvented grey and green.

I am new at the renovation stuff. I started on the outside and got lucky with a concrete artist and an architect. Next project was my laundry closet. I was inspired by a favorite cheap painting. Here is that post: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6168392/laundry-closet-wall-color

Then I tried the blue bathroom inspired by an untouched photo my husband took. It was a really special sunset we shared. It looks pink in the photos. 

So I guess you could say I am inspired by the pictures I want to hang in the finished rooms. Also by textures I like and food.

@KL

I was looking at those photos at 4:30am and not reading the thread, as it has nearly 350 comments! You are right, the tub does belong to someone else but your bathroom is still my dream space! It is fabulous! I did notice your closet when I was scanning the photos. I love the green interior. I will check out your kitchen post. Perhaps a diy rug would be a perfect fit for your kitchen??

my apologies i thought it was your kitchen @kl23, I'm new to houzz, not really sure how it works, ive been looking at the thing for years and maybe even posted once years ago but its still new.

Pinterest is my go to vision board,

yes we're very handy, we do everything bar electricity and plumbing, not really due to want but need. renos are so expensive. and we are cheap labor. well, i say cheap, i only agreed to a winter reno living in the shed if we started with a sauna first. best decision ever. 12 hours on the tools and it all melts away in 90degrees, followed by a cold plunge. during lockdown we built a fence and redesigned our front lawn with a pond and fire pit. so a sauna was a beautiful touch, now we dont need a relaxing getaway. its all here.

below are bathroom dreams and our sauna and yard build

Wow. I am blown away. That is incredible!

@Joski McWoods wooooowwwww……

I wholeheartedly applaud what you have done in your outdoor space. That fence! That sculpture by the side! That sauna! Ok who did the plumbing? That's some major pipes, right? I have to do a little plumbing and electricity for work. It's all outside, so I am not a walking utilities hazard. 🥴 I understand why you wouldn't want to do your own indoors. I would never myself. I so admire the craftsmanship of those we hire, especially after attempting jobs myself at work. 

Your inspiration photos for your bathroom are perfect for your home and style. I envy that you have locked down a style and look that is "you". I think I was accused of being all over the board. I can't deny it. I love individual pieces of all types of music from opera to heavy metal. I like individual pieces of all types of art. I love looking at Houzz and seeing so many beautiful spaces. I can't find a common theme for the music diversity, but I am narrowing visual things down to 1) basic principles of art,  2) textures, and 3) nature. I imagine a professional designer would roll their eyes at the thought that I think that is "narrowing". I like the concept of organic glam: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/style-mix-organic-glam-stsetivw-vs~729066

One reason I like dark walls is that I read pastels as dusty. @ilike Friday and @Joski McWoods do you feel that too? Or maybe you like the way dark colored walls better showcase the interesting objects in the room like JMW's hubby's woodcraft? Or perhaps you like the way dark walls make the windows and doors a focal point just because of the contrast? Why not make the outdoors a focal point, eh?

@Joski McWoods two things… Can you post a picture of your bedroom and maybe a floorplan of your bedroom and ensuite? 

Also, what rooms best feature views to your beautiful outdoor space?

@ilikefriday thank you so much for your appreciation for my bathroom and laundry switcheroo, and for my first attempts at using dark walls. Since you also like dark navy, I'll share how delighted I was that the silver paint I chose to hide the raw tile edges looked especially beautiful next to the navy walls. I was thinking that shiny silver or chrome would have a place with my future dark surfaces. I like brass against white, too. I have no problem mixing the two metals, as long as there is consistency with what goes where. 

You know how we just ended a phase of loving grey? And now it's all the rage to go to a warm beige? With warm being rather ill-defined...I think some people are moving to Silly-Putty and erasers and calling them warm beige. I remember when I was caught in a craze for the golden beiges "off-white" everything. Well, did everyone pass by silver greys? If so, are they safe for the non-conformists? 

I ask, because @Joski McWoods your woods are all warm golden orangy woods that are beautifully highlighted by Spanish white and charcoal to black that bring out the grains in your woodwork. The whole  of these colors sings like an opera. I want to find individual components that sing well together for my main color of chocolate. I like chocolate wood floors and blues. I think they call for whites and silvers and an occasional evergreen. I could see chocolates and Coca Cola red, or iris purple too, but don't know that I want a lot of red except at "red" holidays. I guess what I am getting at is asking for your opinions on what colors really sing with the dark ones we love and how and where do we use them? Can we switch our dark surfaces? Sometimes on the floors, sometimes on the walls, sometimes on the ceilings? For example, that new bathroom of mine has navy walls. I was thinking of using the same color for the ceilings of the adjacent family room and adding white faux beams and tiny can lights. Think about your spaces. Do you switch up where you place the woods, the darks, and the lights?

@Joski McWoods, how is the progress on the painting going?

@Joski McWoods @ilikefriday is a bit of a DIYer too. @ilikefriday point to your bedframe so she can see...

@KL

To answer your questions, I like dark colors because they create drama that I find hard to achieve with pastels. I love bold, dramatic spaces.

Some moody color combos I like are eggplant purple with lime green or bright yellow. I also like navy with orange or magenta. I like variations of color if I am using magenta I might throw in a little red and a little pink or orange too. I love deep red/burgundy with periwinkle. Charcoal with emerald green.

Yes, I think it is fine to carry the same navy paint to other areas of your home. I have dark purple on my staircase wall. I carry that same dark purple into my laundry room. I carry black throughout my home, as does @Joski McWoods. As for ceilings, I think color is fine too. I prefer wallpaper to a solid color but that is a personal preference.

I know accent walls are looked down upon on Houzz but I like them. I sometimes use dark colors as the accent. I love to round a corner or open a door to something dramatic and unexpected. So the wall you see when you open the door would be the dark color in my home, if not the entire room. I prefer when there is more drama in the room than just the paint color. I like to add to the drama with art, furnishings, and something unexpected or to place those items in an unexpected way.

You are correct, I do love DIY. It is how my brain is wired and I always have a project in the works. I am just an amateur compared to @Joski McWoods but here is a link to my headboard. I made it a couple of months ago. I included a photo of the black wallpapered wall in the same room.

Black Wall:

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/bedroom-project-phvw-vp~198002616

Headboard Photo #1:

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/bedroom-project-phvw-vp~198002619

Headboard Photo #2:

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/bedroom-project-phvw-vp~198002425

no plumbing in the pond, just a pond liner and we top it up, the plants and fish keep it healthy, and i have a pump in the pond that runs an irrigation hose hidden in the timber feature and its a rain curtain when plugged in. so zero plumbing and no electrical, i run the pump plug under the fence to the sleep out the window when we want the rain curtain going.

i love brown, i tend to go warm with my tones, if the main colour you choose is warm as should the accents be, is my rule, and as all my timber is warm as is all my colours. with brown i love green reds and neutrals and mustards. and as a rule most my colours are fairly non-descriptive. i get bored of them that way. but my mothers a painter so i grew up with every room a strong different colour, so i need more subtle tones and earthy materials.

a style is hard to choose. I'm eclectic and earthy I decided.

i have so many different types of wood it's ridiculous. all native except my oak. but they are all warm so it works.

love the idea of a dark ceiling!! great idea, no visible fly poo 2,.

organic glam is a beautiful style, i agree.

Maybe im moody rustic glam . everyone loves a bit of lux.

amazing headboard @ilikefriday how creative. love it.

ill post photos when i get this app on my phone, I've just finished for the day sanding floors. 9.40pm time for a sauna.

well after many delays i have all but finished. here's before and afters

still finishing the wardrobe door but all n all I'm wrapped. absolutely love it

@ilikefriday look what @Joski McWiods did!!!!! This looks luscious! Well done! Thank you SO Much for coming back to show us the after-shots!!!

Oh this is absolutely wonderful! Is that the bed your dh made? I love the black walls and bold curtains. The curtains and bedding both stand out next to the soothing black walls. I love the color combo. Fabulous!