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Published on July 13, 2007

How do you decorate a home to look modern with dark colour tones like grey and black?

Chaijak Watanyoo, director of product development at Plus Property, suggests you restrict the use of dark tones to only 30 per cent of total decorative items. The remaining 70 per cent should be white and natural colours.

"Although dark tones cover only 30 per cent, you should set up the decor so that the main furniture items are dark, such as a sofa, a flower vase, the dining table, a bed and some wall types. The rest, 70 per cent of the home space, has to be white colour or a natural material. But these have to be components of a room," Chaijak says.

Using glass to create see-through walls also creates a modern look for a home, and modern appearance is the main idea behind the decoration of a demonstration town house at the Plus City Park project on Srinakarin Road in Suan Luang district.

The town house has been designed under a "tropical contemporary town home" concept, and the first impression is one of exterior simplicity, with its match of stone and wood to create a tropical style.

In keeping with the concept, the architect has also provided wind-flow ceilings to provide a cooling effect to the interior.

Inside, the contemporary design provides three floor levels joined by five flights of stairs.

"The design is intended to challenge the town-house feeling, to make it feel more like a detached house; hence, the double-volume space joining the first and second floors," Chaijak says.

The interior decor is a test of Chaijak's modern-style principles for matching dark colours, including black and grey, with white and natural colours in the living room, dining room and kitchen.

Chaijak says a combination of dark and bright tones is difficult if you cannot balance the two. If, for instance, you create too many dark tones, a room will feel uncomfortable. Hence, the rule of thumb that stipulates 30 per cent of the decorative items in a room - usually the main items of furniture - be of a dark tone and the remaining 70 per cent be of a bright tone, such as white and light-coloured wood.

When the colours are balanced in this fashion, a home-owner will have a modern room that also creates a warm feeling for visitors.

The double-volume concept, opening part of the town house from the first floor to the second-floor ceiling, also creates a wider appearance - an attractive attribute when the town house has two walls adjoining neighbouring units.

The architect has also provided wide windows in the remaining two walls, helping the town house feel bigger than it really is.

See-through glass walls are provided for the three bedrooms, occupying the second and third floors of the town house - once more creating a feeling of expanse.

"Glass has helped the designer create a wider feeling and make the town house look more like a detached house," Chaijak says.

There is also a family area on the second floor that can be used in accordance with the lifestyle of the home-owner. It can be set up as a sports, work or relaxation area.

"When you decided to buy a town house, which is narrower than a detached house, the design is very important. Bright colours should be your first choice for decorating, because these match easily with furniture and decorative items. However, if you're after a different, modern style, then dark-tone colours may be your choice. But you must balance the dark tones with bright colours, to give your town house a different style and more modern look than that of your neighbour," he says.

Somluck Srimalee

The Nation