How to Brighten Dark Areas or Rooms in Your House with Color
When space is at a premium even dark rooms are an asset. White is the color that comes to mind when choosing to light up a room with color. But what if the room has low light coming in, maybe there are few or no windows? White or other light colors like cream will only look dull in these instances. In fact, using color saturated hues is better for dark spaces. This is because rich colors are notable in low lit areas. The color makes up for light. Adding some super snazzy woodwork will also light up the room, making it look fresh and clean, you can purchase a Festool plunge router to help you do this. A colourful room with fresh floorboards always looks good no matter what color.
Shadows
When a room has dark spaces and there is low light coming in, the shadows become darker. Using very light colors like white will not add any light but only look dull. Jewel tones like emerald work very well as they are able to reflect more light into the dark space.
Testing
The best way to tell which color will work well for a dark room is by painting a swatch and leaving it on for a few days to dry and have a full effect. Many paint stores will be more than happy to let you have samples.
Consider the lighting too if there is too little natural light. Test your colors in low lighting to see how well the combination works.
Mix and match!
Mixing shades can also work well for lighting effect. Areas with heavy furniture could be in tan and brown colors.
Colors that work well together- some colors work better than others in dark spaces;
Yellow
This color mimics the sun’s rays. Pale yellow particularly looks well in dark living spaces where it does not overpower the space. it can work very well when combined with warm wood tones and white woodwork.
Powder blue
This is the color of a cool sky. It brightens dark spaces very well particularly for rooms done in traditional décor. This color will work very well in rooms with dark red upholstery and dark wood furniture.
Lime green
Mostly used as an accent color, lime green works well for both big and small spaces that are poorly lit. It can also be used in different rooms like bedrooms or bathrooms without looking out of place.
Pink
This feminine but cheerful color is a good choice for poorly lit spaces. However, you have to choose the shades very carefully so as not to overwhelm the space you need to light up. More subtle hues like seashell and pale rose work better than bolder shades such as fuchsia.
Gray
Gray is currently the “new neutral”. This neutral color works well in well-lit and dark spaces. A lighter shade will work better for dark spaces particularly when there are bright accents like upholstery and textiles.