Don't worry today I am talking about the dark side of color, not the Baaaad dark side! ;)
Dark walls are often associated with making a room look
smaller. Yes, they can do that, but they can also make a room look cozy,
and inviting, or crisp and sharp when accented with white.
If you pay close attention you will notice that dark walls are
being seen in the design world these days especially in dark charcoals,
and blacks.
One of the most stunning, small, tiny powder
rooms I ever saw was all painted in black with gold accents. It
literally had room for a toilet and a very small sink. I saw this years
ago and have never forgotten it.
Personally I tend to go
for rooms that are in a fairly light to medium hues, however there is one
color I have learned I can live with that is dark, and that is NAVY
BLUE!!
Benjamin Moore’s Van Deusen blue
When
my oldest son was celebrating his 9th birthday we did his room in all
navy and white, his Dad made him his furniture for the room which was
all white with navy drawers and navy tops.
It is still one of my
favorite rooms that I decorated in our home of 37 years. I wish I had a
picture to show you.
With
the purchase of a new home I have started thinking about each room as it
will relate to the other rooms in the house.
In an open concept home
you need to look at the whole picture not just each room as a separate entity.
Today I am going to talk about the
office/den in our new home. Let me show you the floor plan once again so
you can see how it relates to the kitchen and great room….
Our
office is where they show a dining room. It can be an office, or dining
room. You will notice that our office doors are French doors.
I am very
excited about these gorgeous 8 ft, glass doors, but since they are glass
the office will be in plain view even when doors are closed.
The doors can have a covering on them, but why have French doors if you are going to leave
them covered up all the time.
Remember I am a girl that requires light so I
might have a covering that can be closed if my hubby wants privacy, but
most of the time this door will be open for viewing.
With
that in mind, you can tell from the floor plan that you will be able to
see inside the office from the kitchen and great room.
It is important
that there is a visual flow, from room to room, and since my color scheme is navy/cobalt,
black and white in this part of the home it seemed to me that the office
would be the perfect spot to do navy.
I still have some convincing to do as far as my hubby is concerned, but I think I can convince him if I keep it fresh and crisp.
The two navy paint colors I am considering at this point are:
Van Deusen Blue Normandy Blue
Both
of these colors are from Benjamin Moore paints. The first one is the
color I love, the second color is still in the Navy but just might make a
good compromise for my hubby, if I need to compromise to convince him.
Let me show you some of the rooms that have inspired me….
This
one wall is so striking, it does not make the room close in or look
dark and heavy.
We have two nice sized windows on the back wall that
could take this treatment beautifully.
I am not a fan of the brown
recliner, or the russet throw, but all the navy and white is so appealing
to me.
Notice the round window? I don’t have a window, but I can use a nice white round mirror to give me this look.
This
navy is quite a bit darker, and yet it still feels crisp with all of the
white surrounding it. I also like the window treatments in this room,
they add a touch of texture and warmth.
The rug and the gold accents really bring this room to life.
The more white the better.
The
white furniture and storage cabinets, keep this room looking fresh and
crisp. Love the sail ship and I think the office is a perfect place to
display a ship like this! I think this might also be another element
that just might convince hubby he NEEDS a navy office.
This
room has a lot more white than navy by making the navy in panels
outlined in white moldings, and yet it still gives you the feeling that
you are in a navy room. I really like this.
Navy
with a touch of black is so handsome and it is a combination that I do
love and use in my home. I even have a pinterest board named, Black,
White and blue all over.
I even found a piece I would like to hang on the navy wall in the office/den from Dot & Bo
As
you can see my wheels are turning in my design brain. I am having so
much fun. Design is such a passion of mine that this just feeds my
creative side to be able to make plans for our new home.
We have a lot to think about and trust me I am……
“Enjoying The Process!”
House Progress:
It is starting to look like a real house now, not just a box in the dirt!
BTW: To see more of my inspiration images go to
