​How dark rooms can look brighter – 7 tips

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Camera Luxury, LANGOLO HOME LIVING LANGOLO HOME LIVING Paredes y pisos de estilo clásico
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A dark room equals a gloomy ambience, but with the adequate dose of lighting (both natural and artificial), as well as a softly-furnished pieces, the end result can look most friendly and inviting. 

Opting for bright blues and sunny yellows on the walls and furniture can invoke a beach feeling even the darkest room. And for a romantic touch you can also include some curvy shapes and delicate fabrics. Smooth, glossy surfaces, bright colours, clear shapes and graphic patterns reflect modernity while bringing brightness into dark rooms. A bright room can be set up in many different styles – it just requires the right choice of colours and the right materials to turn a dark space into a bright style. And elements such as mirrors, glass and crystals are also ideal choices to enhance a brighter sensation.

1. Light in all corners

Dark rooms need to be well lit. If the right light shines in every dark corner, the room can suddenly appear bright and friendly. But what if the room is not only dark but also quite small, with no floor space for lamps? This is why the right choice in lighting is so important. 

For harmonious basic light, general illumination is provided, for example, in the form of a beautiful ceiling or pendant lamp. If you want to use it effectively for a lot of light, you can choose a pendant lamp with several lamps or a chandelier with many crystals. If the ceiling is low, the room can be visually stretched with a long pendant lamp. To ensure that the general lighting is suitable for daylight lighting as well as for romantic evenings, a dimmable switch is practical.

A spotlight as an additional light source next to the ceiling or pendant light is required wherever direct light is needed. This can be the reading corner, the dining area, the desk, a favourite spot to watch TV or the play corner. Flexibility of floor and panel lighting is particularly versatile. For example, a ceiling floodlight with an integrated screen lamp fulfils two tasks: it radiates a beautiful, indirect light upwards and, thus, brightens the dark room in a comfortable way, and at the same time the lamp provides direct lighting where it is needed. Especially in dark rooms, accent lighting is indispensable. With it, the dark room gets treated to a moody ambience. Thus, with the right lighting, wall art pieces or other forms of décor can become especially striking.

2. Bright furniture for every taste

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Bright furniture reflects the light and makes dark rooms look cheerful. With white furniture in front of a sunny yellow wall, the darkest room suddenly appears to be radiantly friendly. 

Romantically styled white furniture made of wood with curved lines and ornaments or, if you like, lacquered white furniture with straight lines and shapes and glossy surfaces are also ideal. A delicate blue can be reminiscent of a fresh sea breeze, while a bright rosé hue can help spread summer freshness. 

But to ensure that lightly coloured furniture doesn’t become too monotonous, opt for various hues. A delicate ivory, for example, complements matt white furniture or a light blue chair can find its place in front of a cream-coloured desk. The same effect is achieved, for example, by dark wood in front of a bright wall.

3. Create contrasts on the walls

To make a dark room brighter, there are several possibilities. To ensure that furniture in light tones does not disappear in front of uniform walls and to avoid monotony in colour design, contrasts are required. For example, gentle pastel colours can be contrasted with clear shapes and patterns such as a round or square mirror with a smooth frame. A white wall is broken up by images in bright red or black-and-white photographs with a dark frame. 

Also a single coloured wall offers a striking contrast with light furniture and walls, loosens the room and makes it more lively. However, to prevent the wall from becoming oppressive, it should not be the largest wall and not be coated in a dark colour. Two different wall paints have the same effect. Also graphic patterns offer interesting possibilities to conjure contrasts to the walls. They are particularly suitable for alternating light and dark. As a result, the bright colour scheme is interrupted without producing a dark effect.

4. Bright ceilings

A dark room looks almost oppressive with a dark ceiling. If the ceiling is dark, the whole room is gloomy. A bright ceiling, on the other hand, makes the room not only more friendly, but also visually larger. This is also the case with walls in cheerful tones. Halogen spotlights provide extra brightness. On delicate grey or creamy hues, these are particularly good. For children's rooms, this creates a wonderful starry sky on a delicate blue ceiling, which creates a special atmosphere. Another solution is provided by suspended ceilings. With the plasterboards, individual solutions can be created and even additional lighting can be installed, creating an inviting ambience.

Let our vast range of professionals (such as architects, interior designers, etc.) help you conjure up the house (or rooms) of your dreams.

5. Interior windows for more light

Dark rooms, where few natural light sources are available, can benefit from an interior window. They loosen the room and act as additional lighting sources on the wall. They also offer the possibility to connect two rooms together, thus providing a more open-plan living concept. 

Internal windows are recommended wherever they are not intrusive. For example, you can connect the small, dark kitchen to the light-flooded dining- or living room. If there is no way to install an interior window, glass doors have the same effect.

6. The right curtains

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Curtains do not only protect you from prying eyes, they adorn the room and make it feel homely and cosy. In order to make dark rooms brighter, lightly coloured curtains are required. Curtains in thin fabrics allow light from outside and are available in a variety of colours. White curtains light up the room and form beautiful, bright contrasts to pastel-toned walls. Instead of thick curtains, which are heavy and oppressive, smooth, delicate fabrics are airier and lighter. Instead of curtains, blinds are also suitable, which can be pulled down to darken the indoors whenever a bit of privacy is needed or as soon as the sun sets.

7. Shiny surfaces

Mirror and glossy surfaces reflect any light and are perfectly suited to illuminate a gloomy space. Since glossy surfaces reflect not only bright, but also dark colours, they should be placed in front of brightly hued walls and decorated with bright decorative objects. Particularly beautiful is when glossy surfaces are combined with accent lighting. This can be a lava lamp on the shiny sideboard or a string of lights on the shiny shelf. In a kitchen with glossy fronts, LED lighting beautifully multiply the desired effect.

From too little light to too much, have a look at these 10 great sun protection solutions for your garden.

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