How To Make Your Home Dark And Moody

In this video, I'm talking about how you can make your home dark and moody. Transform your space into a cozy sanctuary with these simple tips for a mysterious and romantic aesthetic. Learn how to play with lighting, textures, and decor to create a vibe that's perfect for relaxation and introspection.

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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Icogni Ad
01:59 - Dark and Muted Colors
06:52 - Rich Texture
08:34 - Indirect Lighting
11:20 - (G)low Lighting
12:42 - Lean Into Traditional

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[kjlucky]

I like light and airy in the spring/summer, and dark and moody in autumn/winter. I would love to see some tips on how to create a versatile base that works with both- where you can switch out the decor to achieve one or the other.

[vickimanager]

Hi Nick - My living room/dining room is dark and moody and I love it. It's the look I've always wanted, and finally achieved 5 years ago. Deep purple velvet sofa, lovely mix of dark woods, gray (light to mid-tone) walls. My original art pieces are all brightly colored modern paintings to break it up. The rest of my apartment is light & bright; kind of the opposite of what one might expect. I'm quite old now, and I've never enjoyed my living space as much as I do now. 😍

[PolkaLuria]

I think something that is key for a practical dark and moody space (this is outside the scope of this video), is to make sure you have the opportunity to increase the light in the room for when you are cleaning the space or is looking for something. Maybe a strong overhead lighting which you normally never turn on, or the opportunity let a lot of daylight in.

I live in Scandinavia and the winters are very dark here. I like my space to be dimly lit with lots of candles or soft lighting, to feel kozy and snug. But I also need to be able to turn the lights fully on when I clean because I have no proper daylight for a few months.

[divineohnine]

You're not just a guy on my phone! You're also a guy on my laptop! Dark and moody is definitely my vibe right now and I'm taking these tips and running them.

[nilscelrau]

can we take a moment to appreciate Nick's pictures selection?

[trulyAmatulHaqq]

Putting in my ballot for a “Warm And Cozy” themed video! Love this “how to achieve a mood” series ❤

[noniesundstrom]

I can see all the brown wood antiques making a comeback as the decorating pallet turns to deeper tones

[shepherdboy]

"I respect the style even if it's not mine." Samezies! I can appreciate any design style that is done WELL and consistently and coherently, even if it's not something I would choose... even if I don't "like" it, I can appreciate that it's well done.

[annmoore]

Could you make a video about a mood that falls somewhere between the two extremes? I know a lot of mid-tones are trending right now, but I don’t think it’s always easy to style that.

[grateful]

Grew up in Seattle. Now in California. I just realized I love the dark academia and my antiques because it reminds me of the wonderful times at grandma & granpas or great aunt & uncle from England. Also in the old coffee shops in my late teens & early 20s❤ ☕️. All those deep, philosophical conversations and late nights laughing & dreaming of the future. 😂

[JaimeLeighArt]

This is 1000% my vibe 🥰 we renovated our (1940s built) house in 2021 and went with a complete gothic feel. All our wood trim and doors were sanded, walnut stained and clear coated. I have a deep red, a forest green and a deep blue room. Our accent wall in the bedroom is Victorian style skull wallpaper. Black glossy cabinets in the kitchen, and little touches like custom black filigree outlet covers, vintage doorknobs, and bronze skull hand curtain holdbacks. It’s not for everyone but I feel like it’s my dream house!

[monkeybusiness]

My house is light, bright & simple but the TV/den is darker, warm & cozy. Best of both worlds :)

[juliebillings]

I loved when you had your dining room dark navy. It added just the right amount of depth and moodiness but the room still felt light. Just my humble opinion but I think it was a great example of pairing the two styles.

[summergirl]

I love moody spaces & I'm a huge fan of dimmers. Dimmers can make a huge difference whether you want ambient light or light & bright ❤

[imscanon]

I love red. It makes me happy to look at, any shade of it. I have some in every room. I use a brighter red for the kitchen, a deeper red for the bedroom and a more brick, softer red for the living room, etc. It can energize you or calm you, but either way, red is the happiest color, imo. I think it's the easiest color to decorate with. There's a shade of red that goes with literally anything.

[ontheotherhand]

Hey Nick, just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. I know you went through a tough transition, one that I would not wish on anyone, and it’s so good to see you come into these videos, smiling and sounding upbeat and cheerful. I truly hope you are having more good days than bad days now and that it just continues to get better for you.

[Xandycane]

I've been dark academia before it was a thing (except for dressing like I'm in school). I was never gothic, but have always loved dark woods, books and writing stuff, darker colors, matte black or brass metals. It all feels cozy to me.

[cooperwesley]

Yes, Yes, YES. The world of design needs A LOT more Dark and Moody and a lot less beige. (Sorry not sorry.)
Over twenty yrs ago a friend of mine described my apartment as "Ralph Lauren's library meets Oscar Wilde's opium den." He was being critical, but I took it as a compliment and have been doing Dark and Moody ever since. Thanks Nick! I've been waiting for you to do this video for YEARS. Cheers!

[wendyrichards]

I keep forgetting to say it but you are hands down my favorite internet design person, always enjoy your stuff. I like the dark and moody stuff too but can't have too much of it because the house is too small. My living room is all of 8x10.5 ft, tiny. My solution was to put a dramatic Victorian style wallpaper (Black background with illustrations of some of the carvings on the stonework at the Natural History museum in London) on the wall that houses my 2 tall bookcases and desk, so it sort of peeps out behind things.I painted the rest of the room in a mid tone beige with a very slight pink undertone. Given that my sofa is cream and I found a lovely black/cream/beige persian style rug, it turned out pretty well. The art work is mainly by a Victorian artist famed for his moody, twilight urban landscapes and a big Mappamundi canvas iv'e had for years.

[QueenBeeQuilting-]

Light and bright is very popular in our area, and it never was going to work in our house - 120 year old brick with traditional double hung windows. We do have 9+ ft ceilings on both levels so that helps lift the space. I"ve always gravitated to mid to dark colors, paritially because we have original shellacked woodwork and I can really only get those Ben Moore historic colors to work with it. We have bright porches and I am finally reconciled to having those light spaces (porches, garden areas) be our light spaces and the rest of the house is cozy. I love your take on lighting. Again our house was left alone for decades (thank goodness it escapes the 70's & 80's) with many rooms with no overhead lighting. Over the years we've added lighting but always multiple sources (scones, task lighting, under lighting on shelves, and vintage lamps). Anyway, I'm glad you are giving dark and moody its day in the sun;).