Decorating
How to Make Dark Wood Furniture Fit Into Any Scheme
Believe it or not, there's a place for every dark wood piece – sometimes all you need is a splash of colour or some artful accessorising
Many of us own or have acquired a few pieces of dark wood furniture along the way. Perhaps we’ve inherited a mahogany antique, too precious to part with, but slightly tricky to find a home for. Or maybe we were tempted by the modest price tag attached to some old office furniture or a repro dining table. However, while often sturdy, well made and inexpensive, dark wood furniture can stick out like a sore sideboard if not thoughtfully integrated. Here are some great ways to make dark-toned pieces feel beautifully at home.
Tuck it in
If you can find a natural home for your dark piece – an alcove or corner that fits it perfectly, say – it will blend into the space much more seamlessly. This little bureau slots neatly into the alcove by a chimney breast and makes an attractive addition to an eclectic living space.
If you can find a natural home for your dark piece – an alcove or corner that fits it perfectly, say – it will blend into the space much more seamlessly. This little bureau slots neatly into the alcove by a chimney breast and makes an attractive addition to an eclectic living space.
Create a clean backdrop
Setting dark wooden furniture against a beautifully clean, contemporary backdrop gives it a chance to shine. A pale floor, smoothly plastered walls and fresh paintwork create an immaculate stage against which your antique pieces can stand out and have space to breathe. It prevents them looking like inherited afterthoughts and allows their shape and tone to be appreciated.
Setting dark wooden furniture against a beautifully clean, contemporary backdrop gives it a chance to shine. A pale floor, smoothly plastered walls and fresh paintwork create an immaculate stage against which your antique pieces can stand out and have space to breathe. It prevents them looking like inherited afterthoughts and allows their shape and tone to be appreciated.
Offset with bright art
If you can’t team your piece with bright furniture, create an exciting juxtaposition with funky, colourful artwork. Hang the art close to the furniture to make the clash strong and deliberate. It’s a simple and effective way to bring an antique into the 21st century.
If you can’t team your piece with bright furniture, create an exciting juxtaposition with funky, colourful artwork. Hang the art close to the furniture to make the clash strong and deliberate. It’s a simple and effective way to bring an antique into the 21st century.
Go all-out eclectic
Forget matchy-matchy styles and adopt an unashamedly eclectic look for your space. You can then slot in a range of vintage and antique pieces, in dark and pale wood, and tie them all together with a collection of interesting accessories to produce a look that hangs together beautifully.
Discover more about eclectic style
Forget matchy-matchy styles and adopt an unashamedly eclectic look for your space. You can then slot in a range of vintage and antique pieces, in dark and pale wood, and tie them all together with a collection of interesting accessories to produce a look that hangs together beautifully.
Discover more about eclectic style
Find a new function
Invent a new role for an old piece and it quickly becomes a valued and exciting addition to your home. Here, an antique chest of drawers has been upcycled and plumbed to become the stand for a bathroom basin.
Learn to upcycle cast-offs
Invent a new role for an old piece and it quickly becomes a valued and exciting addition to your home. Here, an antique chest of drawers has been upcycled and plumbed to become the stand for a bathroom basin.
Learn to upcycle cast-offs
Match with other dark tones
Make the darkness of your wooden piece into a style virtue by picking out a similarly inky shade for woodwork and other pieces of furniture. It creates a cohesive look, giving your antique item a sense of place.
Make the darkness of your wooden piece into a style virtue by picking out a similarly inky shade for woodwork and other pieces of furniture. It creates a cohesive look, giving your antique item a sense of place.
Upcycle to personalise
Giving a favourite dark wood piece a unique touch can help link it to more modern elements in your home. This chest of drawers has had one of the owners’ own designs stencilled onto it; the wood is paler than some dark pieces, but this idea would work equally well on any furniture.
Keeping the decorated area fairly small means the owner isn’t trying to disguise the piece, merely to help it feel at home.
Giving a favourite dark wood piece a unique touch can help link it to more modern elements in your home. This chest of drawers has had one of the owners’ own designs stencilled onto it; the wood is paler than some dark pieces, but this idea would work equally well on any furniture.
Keeping the decorated area fairly small means the owner isn’t trying to disguise the piece, merely to help it feel at home.
Combine with colour
Choose a rich, strong colour to go with a dark wooden piece and use it boldly around the room. The deep tones of the wood will be balanced out by the colour for a warm, considered effect.
Choose a rich, strong colour to go with a dark wooden piece and use it boldly around the room. The deep tones of the wood will be balanced out by the colour for a warm, considered effect.
Add welcome weight
Children’s nurseries can easily become rather sweet and sickly, relying on a candy colour scheme and too-cute motifs. But adding a piece of dark wood furniture can steer the space in a far more exciting direction.
This dark chest of drawers has a graphic forest growing behind it, in sticker form, and notes of orange and grey give the space a funkier feel than the pinks, blues and beiges often used in kids’ rooms.
TELL US
How have you used dark wood furniture in your home? Share your tips in the Comments.
MORE
Kitchen Inspiration: 16 Timber Kitchens to Inspire You
Shopping for Vintage Finds … at Grandma’s House
Style Update: How to Give Your Home Vintage Flair
Children’s nurseries can easily become rather sweet and sickly, relying on a candy colour scheme and too-cute motifs. But adding a piece of dark wood furniture can steer the space in a far more exciting direction.
This dark chest of drawers has a graphic forest growing behind it, in sticker form, and notes of orange and grey give the space a funkier feel than the pinks, blues and beiges often used in kids’ rooms.
TELL US
How have you used dark wood furniture in your home? Share your tips in the Comments.
MORE
Kitchen Inspiration: 16 Timber Kitchens to Inspire You
Shopping for Vintage Finds … at Grandma’s House
Style Update: How to Give Your Home Vintage Flair
A big boardroom table and dark wooden chairs create space for a crowd to dine, and probably cost a good deal less than contemporary equivalents of the same scale. So far, so good, but they need some colour to stop them looking gloomy and Victorian. Simple chairs from Ikea painted vibrant blue inject a jolt of energy and create a deliberate and exciting clash of style and tone.