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DRAMATIC WALLS: HOW TO ADD A LUXURIOUS FEEL TO ANY ROOM (WITHOUT OVERDOING IT)
DESIGN TREND: DRAMATIC WALL COLOURS Ι MODERN + TRANSITIONAL DESIGN Ι SHOP THE LOOK
Everyone wants to have a space in their home that feels grown up. Like where you imagine Sterling Cooper would host his dinner guests for a night cap (just finished watching Mad Men, thank you pandemic). And we all love going to beautiful restaurants where we dress up and feel pretentious and put-together for a couple of hours.
But you may not be a 1960’s ad executive. And you may not be going out every week. Maybe you just want to class up your home so you can still bring that level of elegance and character to your everyday life, but you don’t know how to do it without overdoing it. Well all it takes is some planning and a can of paint.
When scrolling through interiors on my socials, I see a lot of plain walls. The whites, beiges and greiges tend to be a safe choice when deciding what colour to paint your walls. And it makes sense.
Neutrals make it easy to play with decor. It goes with anything. And you can rearrange it for any season or holiday seamlessly. But “goes with anything” does not have to be for every room.
If you have a space that is for a specific use, say an office, laundry or den, think about bringing in a dramatic colour to your walls. A dramatic colour palette can be both trendy and sophisticated. Right now, deep blues and deep greens are the top two choices for dramatic walls (see below for our top paint colours)
If you add in a few pops of decor (like a dramatic light fixture or cabinet hardware), it can transform into something that is unique and sophisticated, and definitely not in every other house.
If you don’t feel comfortable painting all four walls in a dark colour, try an accent wall. In the above living room, the entire built in and fireplace wall is painted a deep navy. The rest of the walls and decor are neutral.
Above: This office is the epitome of elegance. And it shows how much paint can take a room from generic blab to uniquely fab!
It should be noted that the office furniture is all neutral. The focal point are the walls.
And that stunning gold chandelier ties in the neutral furnishings with the dramatic walls.
Imagine if the space is painted to a neutral. It would still be a beautiful space but the element of charm and elegance would be compromised .
Accent walls can give the same elegance to a room. And for more drama, why not add some texture with a fun art piece and/or curtains, like in this space designed by Becca Interiors.
Shop below for some decor pieces inspired by the rooms designed in this article.
Any of these pieces would look great in an office or living room of any colour, but if paired with a dramatic wall , you will be getting compliments for years to come.
Below are some of Benjamin Moore’s best dramatic blues and greens. We recommend choosing a matte paint finish to add a clean and elegant feel: