Creating Moody Rooms

last month

last modified: last month

We are remodeling our house. The first floor will be white, but we were thinking of having our dining room and office be ”moody” rooms to be different than the rest of the white first floor. They are on either side of the entry so we were thinking of using the same dark paint on both to mirror each other.

Are the rooms too small to paint the ceiling dark as well? And if you paint the ceiling of the office would you have to paint the ceiling of the dining room as well? Or do lower white wainscoting and the dark on top in the dining room or lower dark wainscoting and white on top? Or would you have to have the whole room dark like the office? Are there rules to all of this? haha

i should have mentioned - we are putting attached wood floor picture on the entire first floor.

Featured Answer

Kendrah

last month

last modified: last month

The answers depend on the degree of moodiness you desire: Moody accent, moody lite or full-on moody. Your new medium wood floors will reflect light up, and the openings to the bright white hallway will read as a "fifth" white wall in the rooms. This will make all of your choices less moody from the get go. Also, what times of day will you be using these rooms and what direction do they face?

Moody Accent - If you paint wainscoting white, the dark walls and ceilings are going to provide a moody accent color but will not make for a whole moody vibe at all.

Moody-lite - Paint the whole wall dark color including wainscoting, and ceilings white.

Full-on moody - Paint ceilings and entire walls a dark color and you'll have an actual mood in the room. It isn't going to be nearly as intense as some examples you see online because of the white hallway next door, but will be much more enveloping than with white ceilings.

Same ceiling treatment in different rooms - Using same dark color in both rooms --> treat the ceilings the same. Using two different colors in the rooms --> can treat ceilings differently or the same.

Your choice of window treatments, furniture, and other decor will also help lean the room more moody lite or full on moody.

Moody-lite Examples

All trim painted same dark color, white ceiling, white contiguous rooms, bright uplifting upholstery, frames, chandelier = moody lite.

Salem Townhouse Dining Room · More Info

Note difference between flat green paint above and this super glossy blue paint and how the blue reflects the light.

English Manor · More Info

Moody-lite = White hallway, ceiling,trim, chairs, and bright curtains combined with some darker furniture too.

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Full-on Moody Examples

This dark green with white ceiling still reads as full-on moody because of the dark wood trim, dark moody decor, dark rug covering much of the room, and dark views into other rooms. You will never achieve this dark of a mood with a white ceiling because the bright hallway next door. For you to get this moody, you'll need a dark ceiling too.

The Maryland - Masculine Moody · More Info

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This blue-black opens on to white hallway, but looks full on moody because of dark ceiling and all trim painted dark. This is a good example for you if you want full on moody.

Eclectic Dining Room · More Info

More full-on moody with colored ceiling.

Moody Dining Room · More Info

Painted Wainscot

This is a good case for you painting your wainscoting and upper walls the same color. With a white ceiling the room is moody-light. Pic below shows this room opening up into a very white, light space.

Dining Room · More Info

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Comments (16)

Rho Dodendron
last month
There are no rules. Be prepared to turn on your lights by midafternoon to see anything if you paint the ceilings dark.
PRO
Runa Design Co.
last month
I'm under the impression design choices need to have a bit of decisiveness to them which would lead to suggest going for a darker shade throughout the entire space, because of the sheer volume of space it will also allow you to go for somewhat brighter tones than you might think. I've found Benjamin Moore has the best visualization tools for colors. Would also say the flooring isn't doing you any favors, perhaps a darker wood with a contrasting pattern or a tile with a grounding rug in the office?
jaycek728 thanked Runa Design Co.
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freedomplace1
last month
It’s a nice idea. I could see a green - maybe such as BM Vintage Vogue. Or if you like blues, I think something like PPG Blue Fjord could be very nice. If you want dark and moody, just painting the wainscoting will not do it. You would need to paint the wall above the wainscoting and or all of it.

The paint visualizer painted the window trim and curtain, too - and I didn’t do the whole room. But this is the Blue Fjord. And actually, I think I like the painted window trim.

I would leave the ceilings in the light color as they are. And btw, I like your existing wood floor finish, as it is.
HU-402831377
last month
I would paint the ceiling white in both rooms. Paint the office walls any color you like.

The dining room I would paint the wainscoting white and the top of the wall any color you want.

I don't think the dining and office need to be the same color as long the colors coordinate with the rest of the house. Just try to bring the colors together with art, fabric, rugs, etc.
jaycek728
Original Author
last month
Guess i should have mentioned - we are ripping out all the carpet and existing hardwoods to put a consistent hardwood with wider plank that is a light/medium brown theoughout the entire first floor.
beesneeds
last month
Not all moody has to be dark and brooding moody too. You can pull the moods of romance with peaches, pinks, mauve, or older hollywood moody with champagne and rich patterns and plants, or the quiet moody of sunlit forest pools in verdant greens, pale purples and dusty yellows, smooth aqua. Bright and rich jewel tones with heavy embellishments that lean into noir and deco can get quite moody. I realize paint it dark is the most common moody, but that not all there is to it- and other things can be done to create moody.
jaycek728
Original Author
last month
These are some of the inspiration photos we’ve been looking at. Just dont know if the rooms are too small/not big enough windows for natural light to pull it off a full moody look (walls and ceiling painted same color).
Kendrah
last month
I'm a stickler for painting walls and ceiling the same color no matter the room, whether it is a moody space or light space. We hired a great color consultant who advised to cut a ceiling color 50%. When the wall colors bounce off the ceiling it makes the ceiling look darker. At 50% color, the ceiling will blend evenly with the walls.

I love the green of the last pic you posted for a dining room, and the office in one of the darker moody blues.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
last month
last modified: last month
IMO not enough wall area to really have that moody feel you have a lot of stuff in the DR that takes up wall space . I love dark walls but usually in more modern settings with less traditional furniture . I think the FdR but not that huge buffet and hutch or that very chunky cabinet on the other wall. Maybe take the top off the buffet and strat by doing a dark wall color behind the buffet in the indent it is a samll enough area to test color. The office has the same issue the dark heavy piece on the wall and those super modern light deck and shelf . Could you post pics of the LR so we get a bit more of an idea of your style . Maybe try out moody for your bedroom first to see how you like it that is one room I often love dark and moody .
jaycek728
Original Author
last month
last modified: last month
the pictures i posted are the listing pictures, we close this week and are starting the demo. We will definitely have more modern furniture. Sorry, i should have mentioned that!
Jennifer Hogan
last month
Just a thought, you could add drama without going overly dark. If I had a white room between the two I may opt for a lighter, softer color rather than really dark. It may feel like two black holes.

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jaycek728 thanked Jennifer Hogan
acm
last month
Kendrah did a great analysis. I think I'd do the ceiling, but do different colors in the two rooms, so they can take on totally different personalities with their color schemes and furniture.

Good luck, have fun!
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Krista Hickey
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I love colour drenching - walls, trim and ceiling all same colour. your layout seems perfect for a colour drench in both rooms. id do same color in each (im correct that your rooms are similar size and on either sode of entryway).

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kandrewspa
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With that floor color I like BM October Mist or SW Evergreen Fog. I'll let you ponder the degree of moodiness you want. :-) But I will suggest that you have the walls painted (or are you going to DIY?) and then see how you like a white ceiling before moving ahead with a dark ceiling. A dark ceiling will either seem enveloping or oppressive. No one can tell you how you'll feel about it. Others have posted many great inspiration pictures - I will just add one more where they did a gold ceiling with navy which I think is stunning. This room is more traditional than your style, but it shows that the ceiling doesn't even have to be the same dark color as the walls if you really want to do something different.

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