Dark colours always a no-no in small spaces?

I am lusting after a living room I saw in British House and Garden magazine which seems the perfect solution for our space (about 20 by 15 ft).

My question is - should I pursue that solution, described below, given the rule about dark walls not being good for small spaces?

The floor is a dark brown parquet, and there is one whole 15 ft wall panelled in dark wood, with a 'fireplace' opening (for a sculpture, for example) in the middle lower half of the wall. The panelling conceals a closet the width and height of the entire wall so that it really only looks like a panelled wall (there are no knobs on the closet doors). This closet, 18' deep, would contain all the clutter currently visible in our living room - TV, stereo, mixing console, CDs, books, records, computer games.

The remaining walls are painted white, as is the ceiling.

The living room is divided into two sections - on the side by the built-in closet there is a simple small sofa facing two small armchairs and a low dark coffee table between the chairs and the sofa.

The other section is the dining area - we will have a rather heavy dark wood table of minimalist lines. We still don't have chairs for it - current ones will be discarded when a solution is found. The magazine features a series of four suede cubes in the place of chairs on one side of the table, while on the other side, by the wall (that's the wall opposite the closet), there is a built-in off-white bench with a thick foam seat that can double as a narrow bed (bedding is stored in the bench).

The front side of the room (20 ft wide) is entirely taken up by a window with a fabulous green and blue view. Opposite the window is a white wall with an off-white door in it on one side (by the bench), then a narrow corridor, then by the panelled wall a floor-to-ceiling series of doors in dark wood with large frosted glass panels, leading into the bedroom.

I should note that the ceiling is fairly low at 8 ft.

The panelled wall is very reminiscent of English libraries and gives the room great warmth. The white walls and off-white bench and blinds offset the warmth. The rest of the furniture is in the natural colours range.

The magazine features no rugs on the floors, but we actually have two Gabbehs and an Afghan rug in various shades of red. I am willing to forego my lovely rugs if that would reduce the cloying quality of the pannelled wall.

Rules are simply guidelines and there are exceptions to every rule. The fact that you have a picture you are lusting after is proof enough it is the right solution for YOU. Trust your own instincts and make it a place you will love. You can always try out your rugs in the new space, since you already have them, rather than being forced to make that decision now.

It simply depends on personal taste. Dark colors used in libraries, studies, bedrooms

You fail to give your locale and the direction of the window

The room is extremely light because of the huge window, but it is positively flooded in the afternoon and evening, looking right at the sunset (I think it faces North-West, but I'm a girl, I don't do

Thanks! I feel that way too but needed some professional opinion to back my case with my husband!

Gosh, you are so correct. I just changed to a different color sofa and it now is more similar to the wall color and it *does* really open up that side of the room! Claire in SF