Home Decor Trend: Dark Luxe

We love innovation and testing the waters for something new, so listening to your feedback Shutterly Fabulous present the 165mm slat!

Haven’t you heard? Dark interiors are the future. Whatever you do with a room, paint it dark – black ideally, but if not then inky blues, muddy browns and deep aubergines will all suffice. Tastemakers like Abigail Ahern and the Darkroom ladies, Lulu Roper-Caldbeck and Rhonda Drakeford, have been banging on about going dark for years, but as the idea slips into the mainstream we’ve noticed another trend piggy-backing onto it to create a whole new look. The piggy-backer is luxey items – warm metals, such as gold, copper, bronze, and sumptuous textures including velvet, leather and faux fur. Together with a dark room, they make Dark Luxe. Are you still with me?  Here are some examples to clear things up.This is our shutters collection with top designers and we think it works in any room – minimal, rustic, light or dark. But, for the purposes of today’s trend story, let’s highlight how wonderful these shutters look when offset by a navy blue velvet sofa, a couple of metal side lamps and an expensive-looking black coffee table. White hydrangeas not essential, but strongly advised for adding a bit of je ne sais quoi.

This almost-black bedroom was already good – not least because panelled walls are beautiful, and black panelled walls even more so. Then someone came along and added a gold lamp and it turned all super-glamorous. Note that everything else is fairly simple and almost humble – the trick to this version of the look is adding some bling, but knowing when to stop.

Dark grey and Black shutters

Dark grey is the safe version of black. It’s a great neutral and any colour you pop in front of it will be shown off to its best advantage, especially if that colour is nude pink. Throw a tiny bit of gold – hello cushion – and bronze (the lamp, the table legs) at the situation and you’ve hit the mark with dark luxe.

One of the most striking things about this room is that the fireplace is painted the same colour as the walls – something we like to do with our shutters too. It creates a seamless, wrap-around effect and, if it’s a dark shade, feels cocooning too. The velvet tub chair, designed by Abigail Ahern, adds a 1950’s flavour to the scene, which in addition to the chandelier – just seen in the mirror – is all the luxe that’s needed. Finally, for the more technical among you, here’s the trend wrapped up in a mathematical equation: Mix 60% dark, 20% contrast, 20% luxe.