It wasn’t always this way …
However, not too long ago, a home wasn’t complete without the commanding air of a luxury dark wood piece. The warmth and wisdom it brought to a room were indispensable, whether provided by solid walnut, mahogany, or oak.
The tides are changing
Over time, these interior design staples became antique heirlooms, offering elegance and coziness to whichever room they grace. However, recently, retro dark wood pieces have been rising to the forefront with their fusion of all things rich and sumptuous with a hint of modern chic – irresistible.
Thankfully, the dark wood skepticism is subsiding and filling its absence is dramatic, warm, and downright stylish pieces of woody furniture. Period, classical, modern or contemporary, this style creates beautiful contrasts and can be dressed up or down depending on your choice of accessories.
And since most modern décor fanatics have a dark wood blindspot, we’re going to illuminate all the blanks.
Here’s how you can make the most of dark wood:
Consistency is key
While blending wood tones is perfectly acceptable— and, in fact, we encourage it—it usually helps to pick a dominant wood tone as a base to help you choose other pieces to bring in the room.
Are you envisioning a warm, cool, or neutral room? Figure out your undertone desires and pick a dark wood hue to match. Doing this allows your room to hold onto the adjective “spacious” and staves off the ‘overwhelming’ feel that can accompany wooden pieces.
Consider this weathered Dark Wood Quatrefoil Wall Mirror. It packs multitudes within its almost mysteriously elegant grey-scale design. Standing alone, it risks veering into ‘cold’ territory. But, paired with this grey-wash Dark Wood Round Dining Table, it comes to life.
And the final addition to the sublime love triangle is undeniably this dark grey Oval Back Reclaimed Wood Arm Chair.
Contrast
Nothing breaks the dark wood curse of ‘heaviness’ quite like a soft, light-hearted rug. In fact, the softer side of deeper hues is often coaxed out by light accent colors and accessories.
A light runner and even lighter pillows are a must for some more stately pieces. Case in point: this Dark Cherry Wood Credenza Cabinet with delightfully unique golden handles. You can state the understated by simply throwing a white-toned, ornate runner atop this beautiful dark wood cabinet. Moreover, you’ve created the perfect base from which to add your cherry-on-top accessories such as plants, candles, anything else that takes your designer fancy.
Colour Pop
Fear not; dark wood doesn’t have to mean dark room. Even if you match all of your beloved wood tables, chairs, and sideboards, you still have a blank canvas to decorate, albeit a different color than we’re typically used to!
A perfect sample of a dark wood piece that’s crying out for colourful additions is this Reclaimed Pine Wood & Glass Sideboard. Not only can you showcase your favourite books, figurines, mementos, houseplants and so much more from behind its revealing glass -segmented doors, you’ve got an entire clean slate to jazz up on top!
However, going further, dark wood chairs are often calling out to be adorned with zany, vivid pillows or printed throws.
The bottom line
Dark wood is not the enemy. To bring out its unique, timeless beauty, it just takes a little know-how. Any furniture piece belonging to the dark wood family is a natural match made in heaven with its dark wood counterparts. Hand-in-hand, they can cultivate a room designed for the ages. So before, now, and quite possibly forever, we’ll feel a natural tie to this nature-given material – why not make it your own?
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