Dark Bedroom Colors: Brown, Near-Black and Green Shades
The best dark bedroom colors here are a deep mahogany brown, a green-black and a warm espresso, all measured from paintings. Each has an LRV of 2, so they read close to black and make a bedroom feel quiet and enclosed. Below you will find paint matches and lighter colors from the same paintings to keep the room balanced.
Quick answer
Use the mahogany brown #3B1C12 or the green-black #19221F on the wall behind the bed, and keep the ceiling and trim light in #E8E2C9. Use the espresso #281E1A in textiles.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of dark
#3B1C12LRV 2
Deep Mahogany Brown
Use it on bedroom walls or a dark accent wall when you want dark brown with a warm red-orange undertone. It has an LRV of 2 and comes from Hyacinthe Rigaud's "Louis XV (1710–1774) as a Child"; Sherwin-Williams SW 2838 Polished Mahogany is the closest match measured.
A very dark brown with a warm red-orange undertone and an LRV of 2, taken from Ingres's "Madame Jacques-Louis Leblanc (Françoise Poncelle, 1788–1839)." It has no close commercial paint match, so use it in bedding, curtains or a throw.
A very dark green-tinted black with an LRV of 2, good for walls in a bedroom where you want a cooler mood than brown gives. It comes from Martin Johnson Heade's "Magnolias on Light Blue Velvet Cloth"; Behr 770F-7 Beluga is a close match.
Sherwin-Williams SW 2809 Rookwood Shutter Green
Similar
Colors to pair with them
#E8E2C9LRV 76
Warm Parchment Cream
Use it on the ceiling, trim or the walls beside a dark accent wall. At LRV 76 it bounces light back into the room, and its warm yellow undertone sits well with the brown from Rigaud's "Louis XV (1710–1774) as a Child."
A very dark brown at LRV 4 with a warm red-orange undertone, suited to wood furniture, a headboard or walls if you want brown a step lighter than the others. It comes from Ingres's "Madame Jacques-Louis Leblanc"; Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove and Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend are close matches.
A mid-tone green at LRV 39, useful on a dresser, chair or bench to bring some color against dark walls. It comes from Heade's "Magnolias on Light Blue Velvet Cloth"; Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 Parakeet, Behr M330-5 Fresh Brew and Valspar 6005-6A Jalapeno Jelly are very close matches.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Warm Parchment Cream
Muted Olive Green
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Louis XV (1710–1774) as a Child.
How do you choose between these dark bedroom colors?
Start with undertone. #3B1C12 and #281E1A both lean warm red-orange, and both have an LRV of 2, so they read close to black at night. In daylight the first looks like deep mahogany and the second more like espresso. #19221F is the cool one, a black with a green undertone, also at LRV 2.
For dark brown bedroom walls, #3B1C12 is the richer choice, and Sherwin-Williams SW 2838 Polished Mahogany is the closest match measured. #493522, at LRV 4, is a brown that still reads very dark but a little softer. Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove and Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend are close to it.
For a green mood, use #19221F on the walls. Behr 770F-7 Beluga is a close match. #281E1A has no close commercial match, so keep it for textiles. If you want a dark accent wall, pick the wall behind the headboard. It frames the bed and lets the other three walls stay light.
What should you pair with dark bedroom walls?
Dark walls need a light partner so the room does not feel closed in. #E8E2C9 is that partner. It has an LRV of 76 and a warm yellow undertone, and it comes from the same Rigaud painting as #3B1C12. Use it on the ceiling and trim, or on the walls beside a dark accent wall. A ceiling above LRV 60 bounces light back down. Sherwin-Williams SW 6406 Ionic Ivory and Behr PPU9-14 White Cliffs are near-identical matches. Farrow & Ball No. 2012 House White is very close.
For furniture, #ABAC62 adds a mid-tone green at LRV 39. Try it on a dresser, a chair or a bench. Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 Parakeet, Behr M330-5 Fresh Brew and Valspar 6005-6A Jalapeno Jelly are very close matches.
For wood, use #493522 against a #3B1C12 wall. A pale rug in the #E8E2C9 range breaks up a dark floor. Put #281E1A in bedding, curtains or a throw.
How do dark colors behave in your bedroom light?
LRV measures how much light a color reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white. The dark colors here sit between 2 and 4, so they absorb nearly all the light that reaches them. The room will feel smaller and calmer, and the walls will look flat rather than glowing.
In a room with large windows, dark walls can look rich by day and almost black at night. In a room with little daylight, expect the color to read at its darkest all day. The warm red-orange undertone of #3B1C12 and #281E1A will look warmer under warm bulbs. The green undertone of #19221F shows most in daylight.
Plan for more lamps than usual. Wall sconces and bedside lamps with warm bulbs lift a dark room. Keep the ceiling and trim light, such as #E8E2C9 at LRV 76, so some light bounces back. A matte finish keeps glare down on dark walls.
How do you test dark paint samples for a bedroom?
Never judge a dark color from a small chip. Buy sample pots or large peel-and-stick samples and put them on the wall. Paint two coats on a board about two feet square, and move it around the room.
Check it at three times: morning, late afternoon, and at night with the lamps on. Look at it next to your bed, your floor and your curtains. Dark colors shift most next to other colors. Tape a strip of your trim or ceiling color beside it to judge the contrast.
Test the closest matches side by side. For brown, compare Polished Mahogany with Dark Clove. For green-black, try Beluga. The hex values on this page were measured from paintings, so a paint match is the closest option, not an exact copy. Leave samples up for at least two days before you decide.
FAQ
What is the best dark color for a bedroom?
For a warm, moody room, choose the mahogany brown #3B1C12. For a cooler one, choose the green-black #19221F. Both have an LRV of 2 and look best with a light ceiling and trim.
Are dark brown bedroom walls too heavy?
They can be if everything else is dark too. Keep the ceiling and trim light, such as #E8E2C9 at LRV 76, and add warm lamps. #493522 at LRV 4 is a slightly softer brown than #3B1C12.
Is there a dark purple bedroom paint on this page?
No. The colors here are brown, near-black and green, and none has a purple undertone. If you want dark purple paint colors for bedrooms, you will need to look elsewhere.
Should I paint one dark accent wall or the whole bedroom?
One dark accent wall behind the bed is the easier start, and it keeps the room lighter. Painting all four walls gives a more enclosed, moody feel. Test samples at night before you commit.
What trim and ceiling color goes with dark bedroom walls?
Try a warm light cream like #E8E2C9, which has an LRV of 76. Sherwin-Williams SW 6406 Ionic Ivory and Behr PPU9-14 White Cliffs are near-identical matches to it.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Louis XV (1710–1774) as a Child, Hyacinthe Rigaud
