How To Make A Dark Room Feel Lighter and “Brighter”

photo by bethany nauert | from: before & after of glee creator’s ian brennan’s comfy tv room

It’s a rite of passage to have a dark (maybe even windowless) room at some point in your life – You aren’t alone and I can solemnly say that a small room with little natural light is one American’s biggest design agonies. If natural light is our design best friend, then the lack of light is indeed the enemy. So today we are declaring war, and we are going to win.

The goal here is to not just add physical LIGHT but also create a sense of BRIGHTNESS, of LIFE. But first, if you are currently renovating or about to, stop and ask yourself “could I put in a window or skylight in here?” So aside from you lucky renovators, most of us just have to use what we are handed and to resort to tricking the eye into perceiving the room as bigger and brighter than it is. MAGICIANS WE ARE. Let the magic begin…

Painting Your Room A Color Instead Of White



photo by zeke ruelas | from: moody mid–century home office

Don’t be afraid to embrace a darker color, including the ceiling. Oddly if you have a dark room with a white ceiling it almost stops your eye and makes the ceiling feel lower. But if you paint it the same color or a slightly lighter version it feels more like it extends with no stopping point. If you are afraid of it looking like a cave, go for a medium tone (like the 2nd or 3rd on the paint strip you are eyeing) to give it “a feeling”. Despite all of your common sense, if you paint a small dark room white, it will look like a small dark flat boring room. Sure it might feel bigger, but without light bouncing around it’s also going to feel like a boring jail cell.

Mirrors Are King



photo by sara ligorria-tramp | from: makeover takeover: julie’s huge (and diy packed) bedroom upgrade

This isn’t the first time we’ve spoken about the power of mirrors. They are any room’s secret weapon (or magic trick). Mirrors not only make your room feel bigger but they will bounce around any light that comes its way. Ok, that one was obvious but that’s how important it is.

Hot Tip

Don't be afraid of using more than one mirror in the same room. Just make sure to vary the sizes and functions (for example: one could be a large leaning mirror and the other a smaller wall mirror).

Pepper in Reflective Accents



photo by tessa neustadt | from: eclectic traditional bedroom reveal

This hack is in the same vein as the mirrors. Shiny objects will always reflect light and make a space feel a little happier. That can be a light fixture, picture frame, small tray decorative object, accents of your furniture pieces, etc. Just don’t go overboard unless you want to go full speed into the glam world.

Use Different Types Of Lighting



photo by max kim bee| from: a simple, eclectic guest bedroom

When you don’t have natural light you gotta create it. We wrote a lighting post a few years ago talking about different types of lights and the importance of having multiple in one room. So first thing’s first, ambient lighting is a MUST in a dark room. Those are lights that give off diffused light in all directions (think lamps with a shade). Then consider a sconce and even a small directional light task lamp for a side table. Having a couple types of light sources will make your space feel much happier.

Use Warm White Lightbulbs

Since we are already talked about lights, let’s go deeper and discuss light bulbs. Now there is a time and a place for cool white light bulbs. They are apparently way better for your work area and where you put on makeup (they create more of a color contrast). But EHD is pro warm light all the way. This is especially important in a dark room. Don’t add a cool light that will make your room feel cold and harsh. Instead, bring warmth into your room and your heart with a lightbulb like this one