Dark-walled rooms can be accented with solar screen shades

According to The Kansas City Star, a new trend in home design is painting the walls of a room black, navy or aubergine, because these colors don't actually make the area appear confined - on the contrary, they can add a limitless feeling to the space's boundaries.

"Lots of teen girls are going for a sophisticated room, similar to a boutique," Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, told the news provider. "And chalkboard paint is super popular for kids' rooms, mudrooms and playrooms. When it comes to black walls, the whole thought has changed from 'no way' to 'maybe.'"

Black walls or ceilings can be particularly useful for rooms where other features should stand in contrast, such as colorful books, meals or antiques, since they will be more defined by the neutral backdrop of a dark wall or ceiling.

The news source suggests starting small, if one is looking to experiment with darker colors. Painting the frame of a mirror or a few chairs can be a good way to start.

Industry analysts also claim that lighting can be a useful tool in playing with the aesthetic of a darker room. Solar screen shades allow the gentle light of the outdoors to filter into a room and offer a view of a landscape or garden, so they may be ideal window treatments for these spaces.