Dark spaces set a strong image with a heavy mood. They appear dramatic and serious, cool and confident. So, what happens when you inject a little colour… Or a lot? These two modern home designs explore the combination of colourful brights in dark spaces, showing how to hit the balance just right. Our first home tour takes place in a charcoal grey home interior that is uplifted with an array of punchy furniture pieces to achieve a 50/50 blend. In contrast, home design number two employs just a couple of electric blue interludes to shake off the shadows of a grey and black backdrop. Each offers a different ratio of colour to achieve exciting aesthetics.
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This two-room apartment design was created for a young and enthusiastic homeowner who teaches art history at a university. Therefore the interior was shaped upon a concept of modern style that meets historical elements. In this dark interior concept, a modular sofa and an ottoman coffee table set introduce punchy green, salmon, and yellow interruptions.
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Dark walls are cut with bright paint features that form an artistic background for statues and paintings of ancient Greek culture.
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Mature indoor plants feather the edges of the room, where they merge into heavy green drapes.
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One life-sized statue beside the TV has been given a modern paint treatment that incorporates it into the surroundings more effectively.
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The rest of the TV wall offers no media storage but comes alive with a shapely salmon pink painted circle that contrasts against dark grey wall stucco.
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The lounge forms an open plan concept with the kitchen and dining area, which each offer a cohesive collection of contrasting colours and tones.
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Behind the teal sofa, a small pedestal dining table is encircled by green upholstered dining chairs. A marble vase brings a few glossy green fronds to the dining table centrepiece.
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The kitchen is a colour-blocked design, with coniferous green base and wall cabinets and a matching green countertop.
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Under cabinet lighting reflects brightly against a reflective black backsplash. A marble utensil holder and serving stand place white accents against the dark background.
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Inside the bedroom, the riot of colourful interruptions continues with more modern paint effects across a focal wall and a colour-treated greek statue.
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The bedroom is divided by a green portiere behind the headboard. The curtain separates the sleeping zone from a home workspace and a dressing area with a custom-cut full-length mirror.
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In the home office area, a custom-made green desk is contrasted by an eye-catching yellow desk chair. The workspace runs directly beneath the window and is flanked on either side by two open-fronted wardrobes. An LED desk lamp provides focussed task light to the study area when the sun goes down, and a potted plant delivers light decoration.
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A small bedside table holds a vase of contrasting botanical plumes and a modern table lamp for reading.
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In our second featured home design, an electric blue sectional sofa strikes through a dark grey and black living space, creating a visual buzz.
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An ornate ceiling rose emerges from a shadowy grey ceiling. Small, recessed spotlights dot across the grey stucco in trios to disperse pockets of illumination. Down below, a small side table and coffee tables echo its circular outline.
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The living room floor lamp cuts a sharper silhouette over the sofa, replacing curves with a slimline angular form. Tall interior doors disappear into the grey walls, free from any framework, discernible only by modern back hardware.
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The nesting coffee tables bear a unique and bold minimalist aesthetic that strongly competes with the strike of colour.
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The couch is arranged to face two directions in the living room. One faces toward the kitchen diner, whilst the other looks at a TV and wall-mounted media units. The wall-hung cabinets are black wood grain to darkly meld with the moody grey backdrop. A contrasting silver shelving unit catches the sunlight by the window.
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Two vivid blue dining pendant lights provide a perfect match to the sofa in the open plan living space.
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The fabulous blue light installation flares above a black dining table and six modern chairs.
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A glass fruit bowl makes a light-reflective dining table centrepiece.
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Behind the contemporary dining set, a modern kitchen works around the back of the living room in an L-shape.
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A wall of floating black base units and metallic wall units run into a solid wall of appliance housing units.