You may have one already, a room with dark colours everywhere, dim lighting and no windows to let in the natural light. Do not fear. Your dark room need not be dark for much longer, as there are plenty of tips on how you can brighten even the darkest room. Changing the lighting and wall colour will go a long way to help remedy this, as well as throwing in some lighter coloured furniture and other decorations and your transformed room will be something you can be proud of. There are other methods to help brighten any room by adding windows and replacing flooring, however these tend to be more costly.
So, where do you start?
Get creative with lighting and colour
Within the light colour palette you may want to use white, yellow or cream, even magnolia can have such a positive effect on any wall to brighten up the room. First point of call is to paint over the dark walls with your chosen lighter paint. It is also recommended that you paint the ceiling too. A freshly painted ceiling can really make or break a light room as it helps reflect the light instead of absorbing it. This also applies to the lighter coloured paint that you have chosen for your walls.
To a few people this may seem like a boring, colourless approach to decorating. If incorporating more colour in to your room is an essential requirement, then you should consider using stencils or painting accent walls or trims another colour. This enables you to vary your colours a little, and you can add richer, deeper colours into your room.
The colour is only one part of this solution, light forms an integral part of bringing any room out of the darkness. Think about what natural light you can use, maybe by replacing curtains with blinds. If your curtains or existing blinds are of dark colour, you can simply replace them with a more neutral colour, immediately brightening your room.
Once you have more natural light filtering into your room, you should now consider the other lighting options for your room. Perimeter lights are a good start, concentrating your light sources at the edge of your room ensures that the light is projected inwards. Choose an adequate watt for your bulb, too bright and it can be overpowering. If you are looking for inspiration, there are a number of places you can look, including specialist interior design companies like LUX Design Calgary.
Using the right accessories and furniture
You may want to take a step back for this one. Take a look at your artwork, ornament collections and other decorations within the room that you are trying to brighten up and decide whether they would fit in to a brighter looking room.
It is not all about what is in the room, but how much is within it. If your room is crowded and full of your things, of course it is going to feel dark. Instead, you need to limit what you have within the room. Creating the extra space within the room will help you create extra light. This approach works great with items such as books, or collections of ornaments. You may be a fan of a particular series, which you have proudly displayed in a display cabinet, if you have too much of it, it can make your room appear darker than normal. It may sound a little ‘off-the-beaten-track’ but it works.
Another aspect you may want to consider is if your room has a lot of foliage or plants this can darken your room, especially with all those dark green leaves. You do not have to completely rid your room of plants, instead opt for those with lighter colours, or ones that flower to add some colour.
Once you have de-cluttered your room, and made extra space, you may want to consider adding a mirror or two. Mirrors help reflect both the natural light, as well as light from different sources, to help the room feel both bigger and brighter.
Now it is time to take a look at the furniture. Have you got dark wooden pieces that make the room feel darker? Have a look at your bookcases, fire surrounds, bed frames and TV cabinets. Even the size of your furniture can have an impact on your room, the bigger the furniture the darker your room may appear.
Spending big can give you a bigger impact
The last suggestion is to spend a little money on items such as a new flooring, tiles and doors. Depending on the room you are wanting to improve, you will have different elements to consider. If you plan to brighten up your kitchen, then you may want to consider a new floor, new and brighter tile range, as well as removing or replacing doors. However, if you have a study to brighten up, then floors and built in features are a good place to start.
Windows are often over looked here, because no one really considers adding a new window or increasing the size of an existing one.
AUTHOR BIO
Stephen is a writer who enjoys all elements of the home, including interior design and the garden. He explores different trends, as well as other inspirational parts that people use to improve their own home. Stephen also enjoys art, history and nature.
