The past decade has seen the ascendency of pastel colors in the home. Living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, all have been filled with the pale and neutral shades of formerly deep and earthy colors — in pursuit of what? Karma? Meaningfulness? Focus? Reduction of the carbon footprint? Today it’s hard to tell why America went for pastel house colors in such a big way, because the big bad bold colors are making a decided comeback, and people are loving it and wondering why it ever went away in the first place. IKEA has been one of the instrumental fashion influences to bring back dark colors, especially dark green. The Nordic nations never lost their love and respect for a good dark green — they use it indoors and love to exhibit on the outside of their houses as well — either as a vibrant trim or as a color-coordinated wall coating. A home with dark green, inside and/or outside, is a home full of personality.
In the bedroom a dark green, in the vicinity of forest green to emerald green, is a perfect accompaniment to the natural accents of wood grain bedsteads and dressers. Add some white trim to break the monotony, with a shading of pink (as a nod to the not-quite-extinct mania for pastels) and the bedroom becomes a soothing and steady palette that helps the tired body and weary mind slip under the covers and sleep deep.
