Dark Colors for interior

Denim, navy, purple and charcoal are all ‘saturated’ shades, that is, colors which have been darkened by the addition of back or grey. At the deepest end of the scale, the colors become practically black themselves.

When the amount of added black is reduced, the color range brightens. Navy is transformed into royal blue, purple lightens to violet or mauve, while charcoal pales to mist grey or silver.

Grey is a current favorite and its popularity has ensured that a variety of shades is available from mist to charcoal grey, which is a strong favorite for carpets and furnishings. 

In theory, grey is the only true neutral as it contains only black and white, but in decorating you’ll find shades which have definite tinge of pink, green, blue or beige. Grey works well with yellow and red, but for a subtler look team it with honey or blue, or opt for a sophisticated scheme of grey, buttermilk and beige.

Dark blue has been a popular color for decorating ever since the ancient Britons covered themselves in woad. Modern Britons are equally attached to dark blues in their wardrobes. Denim blue is a color for work-wear that’s found the world over, thanks to the hardy indigo plant.

Though navy and related shades have always been popular for clothes, they are rarely used in the home, almost exclusively restricted to the front door. Yet navy and royal blues contrast beautifully with peach, they look smart with beige and honey, and with red they’re absolutely unbeatable.

Purple is a demanding color that’s either in or out of vogue – the last time it was popular in home decoration was the early Seventies when a purple carpet was the last word. If the use of dark blue in the home is limited, purple is even more elusive.

Full strength it can certainly be overpowering, but don’t overlook the appeal of violet-blue and lilac. As purple is made from equal parts of red and blue, the colors derived from it veer towards one or the other so color matching can be difficult.

If a room scheme includes a fabric which mingles violet with mauve, then both of those shades can be used. A plain lilac, however, is best combined with contrasting colors like primrose and green or a more closely related color such as pink, or even just white; matching tones of the same color is much trickier.