Dark green bedroom - help to plan.

[Curlynewty]

Hi everyone,

I'm finally getting to 'do up' my spare bedroom. I am hoping for a cosy, luxurious room. The room is 16 x 12, with two alcoves either side of a 4 foot chimney breast, dual aspect, windows either end. I have finally chosen the wallpaper (hopefully attached!) and plan to paint the chimney breast green, a dark rich green. I have a black cast iron fire surround (also attached) too which will remain on the chimney breast wall.
One alcove will house my big desk and the other I'm hoping to have a green wingback chair, a sort of reading nook with lamp above. (Or maybe a gold/yellow chair?)
I will buy a divan with drawers that I'm planning to have opposite the chimney breast. I have very tall Ikea wardrobes that will be to the right of the bed on the same wall.
My dilemma is what colour to paint the other three walls and what colour carpet/curtains to choose. Any suggestions? Alternatives to what I've planned already?

The same gold-beige as the flowers? Lightest for the walls and the darkest tone for the soft things?

Thanks@NeverDropYourMooncup Yes that sounds sensible and would work, although I'm worried it will look too beige ish across three walls and floor. I suppose the colourful wall will draw the eye though.
My other choice for the room was a pastel wildflowers on white background so I really am being indecisive 😅

I'd paint the walls the same colour as the dark background colour on the wallpaper. I love a dark bedroom though.

i worried abotu this when planning my own room. Went for the dark (blue) on all the walls. Soooo glad I did. I realised that in this gloomy country it is much better to have a cosy bedroom that is a haven, than to paint a bedroom bright light colours and pretend it's sunnier than it is (*depends on the room obvs)

It's often a bit of a myth that darker colours make a room feel smaller

@Pallisers @Fedupwitheveryone Ooh I hadn't considered having the whole room dark. I am not really a fan of navy per se, and hadn't actually realised the background wasn't black. I admit to feeling pretty nervous about potentially painting the whole thing navy or dark green 😂
What would you do for flooring? I previously had dark laminate but it was cheap and scratched so I've got rid and would prefer carpet this time around.
Was thinking of introducing some bronze/copper elements. I recently used copper effect paint on a downstairs radiator and it looks really nice so was thinking about using this here too.
You've given me some food for thought - thank you 😊

Better view of wallpaper here

I'd add more colours in small things - deeper gold, a deepish pink (rather than red) - and textures to add depth on top of the calmer, paler ones. It also means that if you decide to change the chimney breast paper in the future, you aren't necessarily having to replace everything in the room.

I'd definitely stick to white bedlinen, perhaps that with the deepest toned gold throw (knitted, rather than satin, which I'd use for cushions in your chair, as an accent.

I think bronze would work and look more natural/organic than a shiny copper, as it already has a greenish tone.

That wallpaper is really lovely.

Instead of the navy, you could pick out the colour of the tiny leaves - they are a kind of not-too-dark blue? I think you need something a bit darker than the yellow colour of the flowers - lovely as it is - or you'll have some very bright walls and one very dark one.

Our bedroom is a deep greyish blue on all four walls. We have white woodwork, white bookshelves on one wall, wood floor (original to the house) and white bedlinen. It is very cosy. My son picked a colour one shade darker than ours - almost black and it is stunning (wish I had picked it). Again, brass bed, white woodwork.

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/2128-20/abyss this is my son's and this is ours

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-colors/color/2128-30/evening-dove

Whatever colours you try, you should get a sample pot and put a good sample on the wall to see what it is like in the light. I know this from bitter experience :)

This

Have a look at Farrow & Ball Savage Ground: https://www.diy.com/departments/farrow-ball-estate-savage-ground-no-213-matt-emulsion-paint-2-5l/1635430_BQ.prd?storeId=&&&&&gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHl5qHsFfBJazgilzT8XG4_xk&gclid=Cj0KCQjwldKmBhCCARIsAP-0rfznBXLdJyT_GPiJdxjgQmM4yWKzGblPBEW-46_zRRT6-dURtz1NY0AaAhPHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I seem to have lost the multi quote section of my brain, sorry!

@NeverDropYourMooncup I like the idea of introducing other colours too, as I don't want everything too restricted in terms of colour palette. Back when I was considering flowers on white background I thought about a dark rose carpet; that would probably be too big an amount of pink though.
@Pallisers
Yes that's a point, I could pick out the grey blue colour. Those colours you've chosen are lovely and rich looking. I do get a lot of light in the room due to the two windows, one east facing one west.
@Monster80
Thanks I will get some sample pots and see what happens!

How do you all decide once and for all 😅I keep alternating between different options and then discounting them. I have to get a bloody move on and decide so that I know what colour carpet I need.

If I were using this wallpaper, I’d choose the background colour for the walls. The lighter blue would also be ok. But my preference would be for the dark. If you want the room more green, perhaps there is a green version of the wallpaper or something similar.

As for carpet, I’d choose something contemporary. I’m abroad so can’t shop around but this sort of thing in a natural colour. https://www.johnlewis.com/westex-natural-collection-briar-loop-carpet/soya/p4875293

If you do choose the blue walls, you could go for some green in the accessories, bedding and/ or occasional chair if there is space. I also agree with lots of gold.

Are you going to do your woodwork the same colour as the walls?

A dark room like this also lends itself to a Tiffany lamp.

Thanks Mummyoflittledragon,

Your comment about perhaps finding an alternative if I wanted more of a green room did resonate with me. I do still like the Holden paper but have now found one I feel fits better with my original idea of flowers but combines with this the cosy feel I also want.
So this Flora by Borastapeter paper is my current favourite. I am looking at various complimentary greens for the chimney breast but also trying to work out what colour I could paint the other walls, if in fact, I don't paint them all dark.
I would love a Tiffany lamp! I will need to search for a beautiful example.

I'm in need of a gorgeous mirror to hang above my fireplace too.

Thanks to all who've helped and please if you have any other thoughts or suggestions, throw them at me!

Love Boråstapeter wallpaper, I have their chestnut blossom wallpaper in navy in a bathroom and I painted the ceiling a matched dark blue and the paintwork and fittings are all bright white. It has a south facing skylight and has a light coloured marble tiled floor so is a bright room despite having dark walls and ceiling. Check around for the best price, wallpaperdirect seems to be the most expensive price at the moment, I've seen it in a sale for about £20 less per roll at the moment.

Are you just having the wallpaper in the alcoves? My preference would be to wallpaper the whole room but if that's too expensive then paint the other walls the background colour (although that looks like it might be black rather than green for the Boråstapeter wallpaper), and the ceiling the brightest colour in the wallpaper - probably the yellow. It's very fashionable in the UK to have dark painted woodwork at the moment, probably the brighter blue would look nice but personally I'd stick with white which is what the Swedes do with dark wallpapers.

If you do all the walls in the wallpaper with a yellow ceiling I'd keep all the furniture and accessories quite simple and pale and modern. But it depends on how much of a maximalist you are (I'm not!), you might be happy with layers of patterns in which case stick to a restricted palette of the colours from the wallpaper and go wild with dark woodwork, shiny metals and cushions. It all sounds great and perfect for a guest room.

My one concern would be how often do you WFH and how would you feel working in a dark room? If that would be too much for you then think what wallcolour you would be happy with and then choose a wallpaper with that as a background.

You say you are going to have your desk in one of the alcoves. Is this for work or just for very occasional use? I ask because having a dark colour on the walls is going to make a real difference to the light levels in the room. With that gorgeous wallpaper my preference would be for a dark green, but if I was using the room for work that wouldn't work at all, unless my desk was in front of the window.

So - if NOT using the room for work then dark green walls.
if using the room for work either move the desk to in front of the window or have lighter walls, and I don't think that would look particularly good with the dark wallpaper. Just my personal preference though!

Echoing the last few comments... apart from sleeping what else do you need the room for?

Wfh? I'd be hesitant to go dark for the whole room, cosy for relaxation but not for dealing with eye sight strain from bright computer monitors contrasting with dark walls.

Do you do your makeup in the room? If so you'll need somewhere with good light for that

I much prefer your new choice. I hadn’t thought about your guests needing light for make up / you wfh and the light issue. You could try it and see or have the alcove walls in a lighter colour?

The first wallpaper is more sophisticated and subtle.

Coloured ceilings are great, especially if they are warm tones

I've just decorated my tiny spare room in dark green. I discovered 'colour drenching' on Google and painted the walls, ceiling and woodwork in a single colour, Crown Elle - Enchanted Ivy. It was petrifying (especially painting the ceiling), but I love the outcome.

And from the other angle...

I wouldn't have three different wall coverings (Paint A, Paint B, wallpaper) - I think this could look a bit choppy. Your wallpaper choices are gorgeous - personally I would paper the whole room if possible or else pick one colour from the paper and use this on all the other walls.

Looooooooove this!

Just painted our bedroom dark green. I'd have painted the ceilings too but dh wasn't feeling it. I do like the contrast of crisp white with the dark mossy green.

It is so cosy.

...also have a dark green and copper kitchen with a copper splashback.

Luffs it.

Once you go dark you don't go back.

My DH was very reluctant too, luckily I can be very persuasive 🤣