Top 5 Ways to Brighten Up a Dark Room for the New Year
With the New Year upon us, don’t you think it’s about time that you brightened up that old dark, dreary and depressing room? If the answer to that is a resounding yes, here are five of the top ways you can do that. Not only will following these tips help you to brighten up your old dreary room, but you also will be able to create a new and exciting atmosphere regardless of whether you choose to hire a painting contractor or do the job yourself.
1. Paint the Ceiling White
It is a well-known fact that dark rooms look smaller than lighter rooms. The same can be said for ceilings. If your ceiling is dark, it will make your entire room look dark and small. You can remedy that with one or more coats of white paint, which will immediately brighten up your room. You should also paint any heavy wooden beams because they also have a tendency to darken a room. Once you paint the beams, they will all but disappear. If you use a high-gloss paint on the ceiling and beams, the finish will bring in more light. This is due to the fact that glossy surfaces have a higher level of reflection. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your design choices and look for ways to add unexpected elements to a room. However, if painting the ceiling or beams is more than you want to tackle, you may want to consider hiring an interior house painter.
2. Choose Light Colors for Your Walls
A light color scheme for your walls will have the same effect as painting your ceilings white—that is, it will make your room look bigger and brighter. Some of the more effective color schemes revolve around passive, visually receding colors, such as light shades of green, yellow, blue and neutral. However, you should avoid visually advancing colors because they will make your room look darker and smaller. These include dark shades of black, brown, orange, red, blue and green.
Instead of using a glossy paint as was recommended for the ceiling, walls should be painted with a satin or eggshell finish. Some people prefer a matte finish for walls, but such finishes dry flat and tend to absorb the light, which makes a room look darker. The reflective nature of satin and eggshell finishes, on the other hand, bounce the light around the room and maximize the brightness of both natural and artificial light. Consequently, this makes the room look larger. In a similar manner, woodwork like staircase railings, doors, picture rails and baseboards should be painted with a glossy white paint. This creates a clean, fresh look due to the fact that a white glossy paint is one of the most highly reflective paint finishes available. It is also easier to clean. If you need help applying any of these finishes, you may want to consider hiring a painting contractor.
3. Use Dark Colors Sparingly
Used sparingly, dark colors can provide the extra pizzazz needed to bring a room to life. Just keep in mind that too much of a good thing can make a room feel much smaller than it really is. For a splash of color, try selecting one wall that you would like to accent and apply a saturated color of your choice. Then paint the other walls with a complementary but lighter and brighter color. The one dark wall will highlight the room’s other features and provide a welcome contrast with furniture and room accessories. Additionally, you can use a dark color to emphasize your interior design style. Instead of an accent wall, you may also want to consider painting a feature of the room, such as the chair rail or the molding on wainscot paneling. If you are not equipped to do detail painting, you may want to hire a home painter.
4. Lighten Dark Floors
Many homes in the Edmond OK area have dark floors, which make the entire room appear dark. However, there are several ways that you can lighten up the area. One option would be to replace your flooring, but that might be costly. You could also cover your dark floor with a light-colored area rug, which will instantly brighten up the room. Another option would be to paint your floor a lighter color. This works well with a wide variety of flooring. Instead of using paint, you could also brighten the room by using a light color of stain on your wooden floors. These options vary considerably in cost, though, so you may want to get an interior house painter quote before you decide which option is right for you.
5. Consider Installing Reflective Subway Tiles
Subway tiles are a classic choice for floors and kitchen backsplashes. They continue to be in vogue today because of their clean and linear design. Subway tiles also come in glossy finishes that tend to boost the brightness of a room. These tiles can work miracles in certain rooms, such as dark kitchens and bathrooms. It is also possible to paint subway tiles. However, this is a job that requires a good deal of experience. If you would like to have the subway tiles in your room painted, you may want to use the services of an interior house painter.
Get Ready For The New Year!
If you need help brightening your room for the New Year, you should contact Kaleidoscope Paint. Our team of interior home painters are well-trained and experienced in applying various shades of paint and brightening rooms. We can assist you in choosing a color that will make your room look bright and cherry. We also understand that painting your room can be very disruptive to your lifestyle, and we will work diligently to get the job done in the minimal amount of time so that you can resume your normal activities. If you contact us today, our staff at Kaleidoscope Paint will do everything within our power to get your room ready for the New Year.