Things to Know About Painting a Wall a Dark Color

Room Size

• A dark wall will change the perceived dimensions of your room. For example, paint one dark accent wall at the end of the room and it will make the room appear shorter. Paint two opposing walls dark, and the room will appear to be longer and narrower, especially with a light ceiling. Painting all the walls and the ceiling a dark color makes a room look smaller and helps create an atmosphere that is cozy, comfortable and inviting.

Light Tricks

• You can prevent dark walls from making a room look smaller by using light. Paint that has a sheen or glossy finish, such as satin or semi-gloss paint, will reflect more light around the room than paint with a flat finish. This alone will brighten a space with dark paint. Additionally, introduce more light sources into the room. Increase the overhead light, use brighter bulbs for task light, and strategically place lamps or sconces around the room to avoid dark, shadowy corners.

Effect on Furniture

• Dark walls can highlight your furniture. Brighter and lighter colors pop when paired with dark walls, so feature your prized pieces by placing them in front of a dark wall. If your furniture is eclectic or you have pieces in different colors, use a dark color on the wall to create unity. Against a white wall, they seem to stand on their own; against a dark wall, they are engulfed by the color and seem to be part of the whole.

Stirring Paint

• Pigments can settle quickly on the bottom of a paint can, even if the paint was just mixed at the store. Uneven distribution of pigment will show up even more using dark or bold colors than when using light colors. Carry your paint home upside-down, and keep the can upside-down until you are ready to open it. When you open the can, stir the paint for several minutes. Dig very deep into the bottom of the can and churn it up for thorough blending.

Painting Tips

• It’s a misconception that dark color paints cover light colors more easily than the other way around. Light paint colors bleed through dark paint colors just as easily as dark colors bleed through light colors. Achieving a rich, dark shade generally requires more layers of pigment, which means more coats.

  You can save yourself a coat or two of paint if you start with a primer tinted in the same shade as your new, darker color. Allow coats to dry for four hours between applications for best results.

Repainting

• When you’re ready to repaint your dark wall a lighter color, use a high-quality primer that provides good coverage. Acrylic and shellac primers have better coverage and opacity than pure latex primer and will require fewer coats to cover your dark wall and give you a blank canvas.