Before we delve deep into the luxurious and intimate world of dark bedrooms, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to design a dark room in order to get a relaxing night’s sleep. With the right kind of lighting and a curated selection of furniture and furnishings, you can achieve the same effect. However, there is something truly inspiring as well as intoxicating about a dark, soothing, luxurious bedroom.

This is more of an aesthetic approach than a functional one, even though the darker hues really can influence your mind and body to relax, and shed the stress of the outside world. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the essential design tips that will help you turn your bedroom into a peaceful oasis.

It all starts with the right lighting scheme

Lighting plays the primary role in interior design, no matter the intended purpose of the space. We use it not only to illuminate, but to create a narrative for the mind, and the soul. To light a room is to bring a unique look and feel to life, and achieve the things that paint and décor cannot achieve on their own. By playing with artificial and natural light sources, you can shape the look of your dark bedroom, and scale the design just right.

One of the common mistakes some homeowners make when designing a dark bedroom is thinking that they need to subdue the lighting as well. In reality, the lighting here needs to act as a contrast that brings focal points, such as the bed or the powder table, to life. Don’t spring for the brightest of bulbs just yet, though, first you need to know what you hope to achieve with every light source.

For the side tables next to the bed, use warm lighting to cast a soft glow while you’re reading. For the main overhead light, use a brighter hue to make the room feel more open and welcoming. As for the natural lighting, be sure to let plenty of it permeate the room during the day.

Add accentuating décor to break monotony

A dark bedroom is not just about a dark color scheme or black satin sheets, it’s also about the accentuating elements and décor features that break the monotony of the style while retaining the intimacy and serenity within. There are two key focal points you need to pay special attention to: the entrance, and the bed.

The entrance to the bedroom, much like the front door of your home, has the power to transform your mood, so design it wisely. Consider unique designs for the door such as timber barn doors to break the monotony and add just a touch of light to an otherwise dark interior. This simple design choice will make the room feel warm and positive.

Once you’re inside, you want to be greeted by a bed that emanates the same vibes. This means that it can’t just be a black mattress covered with black sheets on top of a black bedframe. Instead, you want to make it look at bit less gloomy by using a different hue for the bedframe, for example, and playing with textures and patterns on the sheets and pillows.

Complement with unique textures and patterns

As you might have gathered by now, designing a luxurious dark bedroom requires a careful approach to color, lighting, and décor in general. Make it all-black, and you will invariably make the place feel like a cave, or a tomb. Bring in too many bright elements, and you will lose its essence, which is to be dark, mysterious, and luxurious. This means that you need to balance these elements.

You can achieve this by implementing the tips above, and then complementing them with smaller accents such as patterns and textures. For example, beautiful cozy jute rug will draw all the focus to the intricate pattern of its natural fibers. Also, you can use the primary layer on the bed, the top sheet, to display an interesting pattern in an accentuating hue. Gold works wonderfully in a dark setting, so try out a gold floral pattern to achieve this effect. You can also play with striped pillows in a contrasting white hue to achieve the same visual appeal.

Support a luxurious feel with metallics and artwork

And finally, every room in a balanced interior needs artwork. In a dark bedroom, though, there is another element that you should implement to get that subtle luxurious vibe – metallics. You can combine the two by using dark metal frames for your wall art, but also for the lighting and the furniture.

As for the artwork itself, again, you need to be careful. Dark artwork in a dark room can give out an overly brooding look and feel, and it might break the serenity and positivity of the design. To avoid this, simply combine dark metal frames with artwork that bears contrasting colors. Be sure it’s not too bright, nor to dark.

To create a dark bedroom means to take a very unique approach to interior design, one deserving of careful planning and preparation to get the theme of the room just the way you want it. With these tips in mind, you should have no problem designing a luxurious dark bedroom that will inspire many restful nights, and sweet dreams.

About the author:
Tracey Clayton is a working mom of three girls. She’s passionate about fashion, home décor and healthy living. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live.”