Monochromatic Rooms: What You Need To Know

Discover the serene allure of a monochromatic colour palette; where hues effortlessly harmonize, never clashing, creating a visually pleasing atmosphere for your room.

A monochromatic colour palette breathes harmony into any room. The colours automatically complement each other, they never clash, and they’re effortlessly pleasing to the eye. Are you considering a monochromatic design for your room? Here’s what you need to know.

What is monochrome?

Monochrome is the different shades, tints, or tones of one colour. For example: azure blue, midnight blue, pastel blue, and cobalt blue all belong in a monochromatic colour scheme.

Contrast is key

Contrast adds interest and depth to a room. Whether it’s a wall painted in a vibrant magenta that contrasts with pastel pink curtains, or furniture upholstered in a deep charcoal fabric that contrasts with silver cushions, contrast is key to successfully designing a monochromatic room.

Contrast adds drama and personality, instead of having all the monochrome colours bleed together.

Contrast also creates a focal point in a room. If the furniture in your bedroom is in a soft buttermilk yellow, your eye will immediately be drawn to the corner of the room where the wall is painted in a dark ochre. That contrast makes the wall a focal point.

Consider the wallpaper below. The lighter, silvery-blue feathers pop against the deep blue of the background, and it’s this contrast that makes the design so striking. It makes you stop and take notice.

Use different textures

A monochrome room can appear flat. To avoid this, bring in different textures and layers. This will make the room more three-dimensional.

Use accessories to decorate the space. For example books, vases, photo frames, and candles.
Layer throws, quilts, and cushions on your furniture.
Incorporate rugs in your rooms.
Select different fabrics for your furniture, curtains, and accessories.

The fabrics above are all different: velvet, chenille, and suede. So if you decide on a monochrome colour palette, you can simply choose different fabrics to add dimension.

In these sheepskin cushions, a wool-rich deep pile weave combines with Designers Guild’s best-selling Varese velvet to offer an irresistibly textile addition to any living room or lounge.

This damask wallpaper (see bottom right) has a dynamic, sand-fine emboss texture. It’s this texture, alongside the accessories scattered on the table, the wooden panelling on the wall, and the layers on the bed, that give dimension to the monochromatic room.

Consider the overall mood

When designing a monochromatic room, consider the general mood you’re aiming for. Do you want the room to be dark and moody? Or feminine and romantic? Once you’ve decided, pay attention to the shades of monochrome colour you use.

For example, Dark red walls ooze ferocity, passion, and drama, whereas bright pink walls will make the room feel cheerful, soft, and whimsical.
If you’re aiming for a dark, dramatic mood in a room, choose darker shades of colour for the big spaces (ie. the walls and furniture). Then use the lighter colours for the cushions, rugs, and other smaller elements.

The image below is another example. If the pinks were a deep magenta, the mood of the room would be intense and dark. If that’s what you want, then choose magenta. But if you want a lighter, happier mood, stick with lighter pinks for the dominant spaces in the room (such as the walls).

Incorporate patterns

Once again, to avoid a room appearing flat and one-dimensional, you need to get creative with your monochrome colours. A solution: bring in patterns!

You can stick to your monochrome colours (for example the greens in the patterns below) but choose patterned fabrics and wallpaper. A patterned green wallpaper, for example, is more compelling to look at than a plain green wallpaper.

The sweeping jade and celadon green pattern below is a romantic, idyllic vision of nature that sweeps you away just to look at it. It’s a blur of soft greens and white - a botanical paradise caught between floating leaves and swooping vines. You wouldn’t find this intricate detail and escapist scene in a plain green wallpaper.

Browse fabrics and paint colours to start designing your monochromatic room

Over at Designers Guild, you can find paint colours, and at Matthew WIlliamson, there are stunning wallpapers for any room. Home Fabrics also offers an array of fabrics and different textures in every colour. Explore the collections and you’ll find everything you need for your monochromatic room design.

Monochromatic rooms: what you need to know