Working with dark colours in your garden décor is a great way to create a contemporary, harmonious outdoor space. We’ve come up with 10 reasons to convince you to give it a try!
10 Reasons to Use Dark Colours in Your Garden Décor
1. To create a contemporary outdoor space
You can update and modernise the exterior of your home by painting your walls black, grey, navy or another dark hue. This creates a contemporary exterior for your home which you can continue into the interior as well as in your outdoor space.
2. To create a contemporary garden
A key foundational element of contemporary garden design is to use clean lines and neutral colours for hardscapes. Contemporary gardens are a great option for our Brisbane climate and way of life. By choosing darker hues for garden décor hardscape elements such as dark grey pavers and garden edging, charcoal retaining walls and black polished pebbles, you can create a contemporary backdrop for your garden design.
A few of our favourites include hardscapes in charcoal, graphite and black. All will work beautifully against darker hued exterior paints, as well as contrast well with natural garden elements.
3. Dark colours contrast well with foliage & flowers
Just as artwork ‘pops’ against a dark-painted interior wall, dark colours in garden décor provide great contrast well for greenery, foliage and flowers. From black to grey to darker hues, they provide a dramatic backdrop to highlight all elements in your outdoor space and garden.
4. To create harmony
By using the same dark colour palette through your interior and exterior, your home and outdoor space will be united, coordinated and harmonious. This helps you to then make choices for furniture, lighting and decorative elements such as rugs, artwork and planters.
5. Dark colours can create a focal point
If your outdoor space is limited, dark colours can be cleverly used to create a focal point in your garden décor. Dark colours draw the eye in a calm, neutral way, and can make a sophisticated statement.
Our range of Redcor planters and garden edgings are one way of doing something. A three-tiered Redcor planter is a simple way to create a striking focal point in your outdoor space. Planted with greenery, flowers, vegetables or herbs, you can personalise the planter to suit your own space and needs. The Redcor steel provides durable protection against the elements, and the striking deep red colour will oxidise and form a unique patina over time. The planter is also available in four- and five- tiers.
6. Create zones in your garden décor
Clever use of dark colours can help to create zones in your outdoor space. An outdoor lounge and greenery set on dark pavers against a dark wall creates a space of relaxed, casual elegance. It may also be your one calm haven in an otherwise busy backyard filled with children’s toys and play equipment – the perfect spot for a morning coffee or evening wine.
7. To frame your garden
Garden edging in dark tones is a fantastic way to define sections of your garden. Even better, garden edging can make your maintenance just that little bit easier. There are an endless array of choices for garden edging, but dark colours can really make your garden pop.
8. Dark colours are a great neutral base
The clever use of dark colours in your garden décor provides a neutral base for your outdoor inspiration. In Brisbane, we are spoiled for choice with blue skies, ‘yellow’ sunshine, green lawns and plants and natural tones. Using dark colours to ‘ground’ competing outdoor colours is the perfect way to create a united outdoor space.
9. To make a budget-friendly statement
Remember that paint is not only for interiors! With a fresh coat of paint, you can instantly change the look of your garden décor. If your garden wall or backyard fence have seen better days, a fresh coat of exterior paint will dramatically improve their appearance. And as we’ve talked about above, darker hues for your fence or wall will provide the perfect backdrop for all your garden greenery. As a bonus, they’ll weather well too.
10. To camouflage or conceal
Dark colours in garden décor can act as an effortless camouflage for any aspects of your outdoor space you’re wishing to ‘hide’. Or at least not draw the eye to. By using a uniform darker hue in your outdoor space, the eye takes in the whole area as one, without distraction.
If your pool or pond filter is hidden within a shed of some kind adjacent to your outdoor space – paint them all the same dark colour.
Using dark colours as part of your contemporary garden décor opens so many design options for your outdoor space. We hope you’ve found a few ideas here for different ways to incorporate dark hues. Keep your eye on our product info and how to pages for more garden decor ideas. Get in touch with all your outdoor design ideas. We’d love to talk all things outdoors and garden with you – our expert team is waiting to help.