To paint all four walls of my small living room a very dark green?

[SoupForLunch]

It's Christmas very soon and we're throwing our living room together, otherwise I would give a bit more time to thinking this through. We live in a pretty small 1930s semi. We have a large, lovely light, south-facing kitchen diner and a tiny north-facing living room (I have started called it the snug, like a twat). Would it be unreasonable to just ignore all the people wringing their hands and saying 'Oh, a dark colour will shrink your room' and paint it F&B Calke green? I want to embrace the smallness, and the darkness and make it cosy. I'm thinking all four walls as I find feature walls a bit twee / coy / dated. We have a lovely velvet sofa in dark denim blue, a little open fire and very nice 1930s lighting (main and wall). What do you think? Anyone else done similar? Anyone got any photos?What have you hung on the walls, frame and art-wise? Also, for extra info, my partner is a painter decorator so the finish will be great and we can paint over quickly. I'm talking myself into this. Thank you Mumsnet.

Please show us pics when it’s done!!!

Do it. Like a pp said, keep all your woodwork brilliant white though. We've just gone for a dark blue/green for our stairs and hallway which aren't particularly big and I love it, don't regret it at all

I love dark green and have similar in my bedroom. I have large prints on the wall (Barbara Hepworth). I also have really dark walls in the living room and it actually makes it feel bigger as it blurs the depth.

Big guilded mirror will look gorgeous.
Accentuate ceiling height by making your curtains go all the way up to the ceiling and all the way to the floor

Our living room is F&B Green Smoke and I love it, it’s moody and so cosy. I use white on woodwork navy, gold and pink furnishings. It really is lovely and I would go for it.

Lovely colour, not very dark I would agree but will still cosy up the room and suit the period of the house. But do not even think about using anything resembling brilliant white with it , it will jar with that tone. A heritage white with green undertones will be softer, the F and B site will usually give you a colour match guide, follow that.

I was just thinking this exact thing today about my sitting room. I think green is such a lovely colour and even better in a dark shade.

However I'm not too sure the claims on this thread it's cheap to change and the use if F&B weight up 😄

I don't think of calke green as dark.
I like Green Smoke and Studio Green though. And Bancha.

A friend of mine painted her smallish sitting room green like this, and it’s lovely. Really cosy.

Fine if you like it cosy and like small dark spaces and they make you feel warm and fuzzy rather than claustrophobic and fed up. It wouldn't suit me personally if it was my only sitting room. As a nook or a gaming room or something, and if I had another sitting room, maybe. If it had a really good reading lamp that might also improve matters for me.

It's a nice colour. A good green (there are a lot of green I find a bit yuck on a wall) and a restful colour.

If you get SAD syndrome, I wouldn't advise it. Ditto if this room doesn't get much bright light due to its location.

Might otherwise be all right anyway with a light ceiling, light furniture, light floor, or at least lighter cushions, throws and curtains.

I am also a twat and have a 'snug' 😁. It's painted a beautiful dark blue (F&B Hague Blue), skirtings and all, and we have a dark green velvet sofa (so kind of your proposed scheme but in reverse). It looks great and I love it. I'm totally with you about feature walls being lame and embracing /going with rather than trying to fight a dark room. The only downside I can think of is how it's very quick to look tired and tatty (chipped paint on dark walls shows up lots) but with a decorator in the house you'll be fine.

I really love F&B Bancha and definitely hope to use it soon in a room.

@AgathaMystery

Agreed. It will look ace. Do the ceiling too!

I would do the ceiling a very pale icy blue or pale pink. But def all four walls with the green. They way you describe it sounds great.

The photos you sow have lots on the walls so there's not a huge expanse of dark.
A good excuse to get out to local art galleries or antique shops for some interesting pics.

Lol so this just came up on my Google 😂 hi it’s Paul here Aka Pride Of Wales (the guy seen on the Ranganation you talked about) the green I have in my living room and the one you’re looking for is a Johnston’s dark green matt paint available in b&m … not sure on the actual name though. Beware you need a good few coats so you may want two tins depending on area. The colour is stunning, great price and really does get everyone talking when they see it. It does marking easily however it wipes clean easily and quickly with a dry or a damp cloth. Hope this helps xxx

@Pridewales fabulous update, so glad you posted and welcome. I love you on Ranganathan! 👏

I like the colour but I think it might be a bit much with dark green furniture too. But hey, you can always repaint again.

Best resurrection of a zombie thread I’ve seen in a long time!

I love light rooms, but I have a very small north facing box bedroom / study that I painted in dark tones as well, to embrace it and weirdly, it doesn't look gloomy at all - quite the contrary, it's snugly and cosy.
Got some colourful wall art and shelves as well.

Also, those old houses generally have generous ceiling height, which help tremendously. You wouldn't get such a cosy, elegant effect with "regular" ceilings.

Just painted our drab old under the stairs toilet in little greene hicks blue. It’s still drying after several days of undercoat and eggshell on old foggy tiles, but it looks great. Going to add wild wallpaper to the sloped ceiling part.

It’s the smallest room and only room in the house with no window, but it works being dark. The rest of the house is white.