Love the bedding and art!

I think the room looks bigger with the dark paint!

Great improvement! The room actually looks much wider with the dual night stands. I've been thinking about panting one of our bedroom walls a dark color, too. Now I'm gonna go buy some paint...

This is GARgeous! I really do like the darkis hart on the wall, too.

You know, I'm not normally one to promote painting wood, but in this case I would like to see what that nightstand beneath the window would look like in a color from the family of colors you've already set up. Maybe a rich red or a gold?

I am really enamored of what you've done here.

*darkish*, not darkis.

not dorkis, either.

Okay, again: *darkish art*, not daris hart.

Heaven help me.

I never would have thought, but . . .it truly is a great change. Inspired and your guests are lucky!

Wonderful! With the wall painted black, you really see the diagonal slant of the wall. So cool looking!

hahaah Lorelski I just got a huge chuckle out of your "heaven help me" comment! I LOVE this room- love the artwork, love the bedding. Agreed that perhaps a little pop of colour on the nightstand- and I love that the blinds, dog in the print and lamp all match :)

Wow, I'm surprised that this room looks bigger with the dark wall. Love the color, too.

Whoa--I never, ever would have thought to do that, and it looks phenomenal. What a comfy little room!

go for it! we painted our dining room black and haven't looked back! we LOVE it! see it here: http://twosixe.blogspot.com/2011/12/black-out.html it's funny that people don't immediately say oh my gosh ---it's black, somehow it looks natural and then all of a sudden they'll say, whoa, is that black? yep!

I love the cluster of paper lanterns! Great little space, there.

Just as warm colors advance, and cool colors recede...it's also true that light colors advance, and dark colors recede. That's why the room looks larger with the dark wall. I once painted a dark color between my kitchen counter and upper cabinets, and it made the whole kitchen look bigger. The only thing you need to keep in mind when painting dark colors is if there is sufficient light in the room.

I like the dark wall very much; having said that, it appears you've painted the inside of the window white. Is there some reason for that? I would have liked it even more if the inside of the window framing was painted seamlessly into the wall color, instead of standing out. Perhaps it's just the lighting this time of day making it appear white.

I also suggest that you lower the lanterns just a few inches, so they don't look like they've drifted into the corner like helium balloons, and might also suggest swapping sides with the nightstands. Doing these things will balance the visual weight in the room. I love the warm bamboo blinds in contrast with the cool colors, and the positioning of the artwork. Love the word bubble art. :-)

I really like the funky shape of that wall, which is lost when it was the same color as the ceiling. Great improvement, well done.

id have never thought dark paint would work....but it does and how!! great job!

Great choice, I love the way the dark accent wall makes the lines of the sloped ceiling stand out.

i really like the lanterns, but i say if you are going to go for it, paint the other walls black
as well, i think it would look great.

This is amazing! The dark paint is so cool! Well done!

I love this! The art is perfectly arranged (and chosen), as is the bedding. But I think what really makes it is the rattan blinds! Such a nice choice of texture to contrast with the wall...

Love the doggie needlepoint and the woodcut on the left!

UH-MAY-ZING!!! And I prefer the white as far as the window goes...

I love the little dog picture!

PLEASANT SURPRISE-REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT TO LIKE IT BUT IT'S REALLY COZY. I TOO LIKE THAT LITTLE DOG NEEDLEPOINT...WAY TOO CUTE.
NICE JOB.
OH, YEAH, MAYBE BRING DOWN THE PAPER LATERNS JUST A WEE BIT..

I like this a lot. But it still may need a headboard or something to anchor the bed. But really really nice!

By the way, I've been eyeing the very same bedding from West Elm! :)

This looks great! I think the trick with using very dark colors in a small room is you have to incorporate some contrast somehow, as is done in this room by only having the one wall dark. It can also be achieved by having a lot of things in front of the wall (bookshelves) or on the wall (art). When done correctly, the dark color will indeed recede visually and make the room seem bigger.

Dark accent walls give the feeling of receding and that can make a room feel bigger. I've done this with walls that have windows in them because usually the light illuminates the other walls and leaves the window wall dark anyway.

It looks great! Where did that gorgeous BT go??? I hope he still gets to greet the guests and snuggle up with them. :)

I think this is a nice room and I'm impressed you had the vision to do it as soon as you saw the room. I'd never have thought to do it and your vision and effort yielded a very nice result!

i really like it! we are about to paint a wall in our living room a dark navy--this in encouraging that we are going the right direction!

Thanks for sending in B&A photos both of which are taken from the same angle, and for including the electric cords!

I'll be over Tuesday. Let the dog know.

The only thing about the "before" I like better than the "after" is the Boston terrier. Great job!

I love it--looks great! Though I have to say, that's not almost black. It's not even half black!

It is really nice! I would suggest swiching the night stands too.

Whoa, if this is the guest bedroom I'd wanna be a guest ALWAYS.

Awesome
also @ 26east: much awesomeness. will be back to your site
when I have more time, thx for sharing!

It looks fabulous!

I was somehow picturing an Adrian Mole-esque room with Noddy wallpaper still showing through the black :)

I do think it will improve even more if you paint all the walls.

LOVE that the doggy is saying hello! And I love dark bedrooms.

Wow! I love it! It makes me wish I wasn't so arachnophobic - I am afraid of painting any walls dark because then I wouldn't be able to spot the occasional spider, especially in the dark.

Agreed, this is a nice transformation. The dark wall recedes and makes the room look bigger. Cute artwork and lantern cluster too.

All this before-after posts make me realize a very important rule for interior photography:
If you like it, use good light and tidy up. If you don't, use bad light and b-class objects.

wow - great work. love the paper shades clumped together.

Wonderful transformation. And, exactly the opposite to SALEMAGNET28, I think it's keeping the window inset white that makes it. Not only does it highlight the black but it also gives the wall a lovely flat look against the depth of the window. I would guess that it also adds considerably to how much light comes in the window.

And I really like the cluster of paper lanterns, and the fact that they are hung quite high really draws the eye to the top left hand corner of the room so it makes it feel more spacious.

Altogether a great job, and more thoughtful than just "paint that wall black", as it's these small touches that make it.

The difference is remarkable. I really love the charcoal gray walls, color is very elegant, combined with white or cream tones, decoration is a very successful

Wow, thank you all for your kind comments!

The window sills are fairly deep, and there are two more windows on the (white) wall to the right. I opted to not paint the sill because that felt more cohesive, and I just preferred it.

I kept the lanterns high so that they wouldn't compete with the artwork. I've considered but haven't decided about painting the light-colored nightstand.

And I think my pup was busy napping in the other room for the "after," but he loves visitors!

So, it's a great change, and great color choice.

My only complaint: The before pic has no natural light and window covered up. That alone will make a difference in room vibrance.

completely amazing! that dog pictures makes the room!

Your room looks fabulous. I normally hate accent walls, but when it's black, it really works. Maybe it's the graphic black-and-white combination?

That looks great! My bedroom is really similar in decor, minus the dark wall. I may have to steal this idea. Does anyone know if it would be very hard to repaint a dark wall like that back to white? I'm a renter, so if I painted dark I'd probably have to change it back when I leave.

Wow great job ! Please tell me where you bought the orange lamp !!! :)

This is very nice. I assume the bedding is the same? although in the first pic it looks more greige than grey.
Too bad the French bulldog is not in the second picture. I love the dog picture on the wall, too.

I love this!!!

This really goes to show how a few small changes can make a world of difference. The space went from unremarkable to charming and unique. I like how you've tied together various elements that might seem dissonant at first — the doggie needlepoint, black paint, a bamboo shade, white lanterns. Somehow you've made paper lanterns look grown-up and made the bland oatmeal carpet fade into the background. Bravo!

Ha ha HZL that made me laugh! Yes it's just fabulous. I love black and I have a black wall in my kitchen which visitors all love, and many are amazed that not more people have black walls! AND I am the most pathetic spider-phobic person ever, but it doesn't seem to hide them, I can still see them and kill them... but maybe I'd feel differently having a black wall behind my head in bed...

I love the woodcut art - where is that from? and the terrier is darling.
Thanks for sharing your gorgeous guest room!

The dark wall helps to emphasize the interest in the ceiling

This is a great understated makeover. I love that the dark color makes the uneven ceiling pop out at you. I think it's perfect in an understated, relaxed way just as it is. Well done!

Beautiful dark wall color! I am dying to know where you got that wire fox terrier needlepoint! I grew up with a pet wire fox terrier and it really made me feel nostalgic! Thanks!

i've never bought or adhered to the myth that dark walls close in a place. i've always had one or all of my ways in my bedroom black or dark charcoal grey. good job on the room!

Reminds me of a pint of Guinness, God I would love a pint or four :)

It's picture perfect. Yep I agree with everyone else, move the white paper lamps down a bit.

At my 13 year old's request, we did two walls in her room in black, and two a mulberry purple. Wow. It feels like you're walking into a special place, every time, and you often don't notice any mess because of the color. And as you can see from your own wonderful room, a black background makes the art on your walls pop. I completely love the mix of the dog needlepoint with the graphic hello. I would enjoy that every time I walked into the room. It's not imperfect, it's completely original. You have lucky guests.

Still reminds me of a pint of Guinness

DEFINITELY change the nightstand! I'd personally stain it a mid-tone beech that tones in with the lamp base and the blind. But a glossy laquer in a deep but muted colour would look good too. A bit of subtle shine will sit nicely against the powdery wall.

I LOVE the makeover! the dark wall definitely improved this space. That picture is amazing (the biggest one). Anyone know the artist>?

I don't like to wear black, so the idea of it as an decor color gives me mixed feelings; I like black furniture, but was leary of black walls. You've cured me!
I love the white around the window,it makes it pop out against the black.The only thing I'd do different is to paint the sidetable the same color as the wall. To me it's color is the odd key that keeps the whole wall area from being a cohesive unit. Otherwise...spectacular!

Oh, what a peaceful corner to lay your head at.. beautiful art on the walls!
well done!