So after my post about why I was going light in the dining room, I had an almost ridiculous amount of people around social media as well as in the comments and on email telling me they were now second-guessing whether or not to actually go for that dark delicious shade they had chosen for their rooms.

Should I paint my room dark or light? Check out my handy flowchart which should help you make the decision.

Oh dear.

So, of course it was never my intention to have you guys thinking it’s “bad” to go with a dark paint colour in a room that doesn’t get a lot of natural light or that if you don’t have any other dark rooms in your home, that you should abandon the idea. Please realise there were quite a lot of different factors that went into that decision, some of which may not at all apply to you or your own room.

Should I paint my room a dark colour? My handy flowchart should help you make the decision!

So the question in my mind then became – how do I explain how or when it would be perfectly fine to go ahead with that dark colour on your walls or when you should perhaps consider some other factors before picking up the paint brush? Because I’ll be honest with you – as much as I love dark paint colours and I realise how ridiculously trendy they are right now – I don’t always think every room suits it.* I don’t think the answer to every single situation is dark paint OR light paint. I do think there are times that it’s much better to go for a light colour and bring in drama by other means and still other situations when really, going dark could be your best bet. And then there are always instances where the planets all align perfectly and really, you can just go whatever way you want to because either light or dark, the room will look great.

If you've ever asked yourself the question 'Should I paint my room a dark colour?' I've got a handy flowchart which will help you make the decision!

*And yes, I still love you Abigail Ahern, if you are reading this (she’s not). Please don’t hate me for saying that.

Well, guys, I came up with a little solution. A way of understanding how different factors will effect different rooms and in fact, different individuals. Is it absolutely fail-safe? Not necessarily. So ya know, take it all with a pinch of salt because I’m just going off what I know about using paint colours (both light and dark) and my own personal experience. But do I think it might help if you are on the fence about going with a darker colour? I do indeed.

Welcome to the flowchart my friends…

Should I paint my room a dark colour? Complete my handy flowchart to find out!

You’ll notice there are certain instances when it simply comes down to preference. Do you want a cosy, dark, intimate space? Do you actually really love light coloured rooms? Then DO THAT. In others it’s more about working with what you have, considering the actual architecture of the room, the light the room gets, the height of your ceilings or how a lack of light actually makes you feel to get your best result. So, if you’ve got a room that doesn’t get a lot of light, sometimes it’s actually better not to fight it – go ahead, embrace your dark side!

In the end, however, whether you find this little flowchart useful or not, it’s really about creating a room that YOU love. And seriously guys, if you desperately want to try a dark paint with all your heart but the chart points you to a light colour, then screw the chart, just try it. I mean, it’s PAINT at the end of the day, not life-saving surgery. If you try it and you hate it, well, just re-paint. No, of course, no one wants to feel they’ve wasted time or money but sometimes it’s better to just go ahead and experiment and then you’ll know for sure either way. And hey, you might end up with something fabulously unexpected that you adore.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and whether you think this flowchart might be helpful to make a decision on whether or not to go with a dark paint colour! How do you make a decision? Do you prefer light or dark spaces? Go on, talk to me.

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