On the dark side: how to make a room brighter? Given: dark room. How to make it lighter? Curtain color for a dark room

A dark room is like Tolstoy's unhappy family - all bright rooms are equally good, each dark room is bad in its own way. If you got a room with a window facing north, with a window shaded by trees, with a small window, with a shaded balcony block, a long narrow room, an asymmetrical room - in general, if you got a dark room and need to make it lighter, then this article For you.

Here I will tell you how to make a dark room brighter in the daytime, with natural light, and I will not touch the electric light.

You don't have to use all the design techniques that I'll cover - choose the ones that suit you best and you like.

The first way to brighten up a dark room is the white box – white walls, white ceiling and white floor. In photo 1 you see a kitchen that is configured in such a way that only part of the space gets daylight, and the main part of the room is in the shade. The "white box" reflects more light.

Photo 1, 2 and 3

In photo 2, you see a room that may seem bright - no, it's just that when photographed, a window with daylight always seems dazzlingly bright because the rest of the room is shaded. In fact, this room is very dark, if it were not a white box, then it would receive almost no daylight, since the window is north and the room is asymmetrical. Due to the white color of the “box” (floor, walls, ceiling), it becomes much lighter.

The white ceiling in dark rooms has absolutely no alternative, the Russian consumer is gradually getting used to the white walls. But the white floor causes protest, because white is the most rarely used color for the floor in Russia.

But a dark room with a white floor becomes noticeably more lit, the difference is very noticeable. And besides, the "white box" is not only a way to reflect maximum daylight into the room. This is also a way to make a narrow room visually more spacious, especially if the furniture is also white, as in the photo above. Sounds terrible (all white), but it works!

Photo 3 shows a very dark, narrow room, which in any other color than white would be just a crypt. The white floor, ceiling and furniture make it brighter during the day and smarter in the evening when the electric light is on.

If a white floor is combined with white walls and white furniture, then the room becomes both lighter and visually more spacious. Then the lack of contrast and transition between background surfaces (floor, walls, ceiling) and furniture makes the space more homogeneous (the boundaries of the room seem to blur), and, in turn, because of this, the space seems wider.

The room in photo 4 seems large and bright. In fact, it is small and not very well lit - there is one high narrow window and two very small ones, the total area of windows is small. But due to the white walls, floor and white furniture, a completely different impression is created. Mentally paint the walls, floor, and furniture and you'll see the difference.

In dark apartments, they make white floors, white doors and white walls in all rooms. Everyone immediately thought about the soiling in the hallway and corridor. But modern materials (tiles, linoleum, veneer, washable wallpaper and resistant paint) are very easy to clean and do not lose their appearance for a long time. Yes, you need to wash more often. But it will be clean and bright 🙂

Many people are afraid of the “white box” solution, and even more so the “white box with white furniture” solution, because it seems very sterile, boring and “hospital”. But avoiding “white silence” in the interior is easy - add bright accessories and medium-sized furniture in bright colors, as in photo 5-8. If you don't like bright colors, just use more details (photos 9 and 10).

Dark rooms with low ceilings show a “white box” very much - among other things, such a design of the background surfaces still creates the feeling that the room is easy to breathe, this is very important in small rooms. To avoid boredom, use a variety of decor, from which white lace is especially shown - lace, carving, macramé, patterns on glass, etc.

In photo 12 you see the most beautiful headboard, which greatly decorates a small dark room (note the height of the ceiling) and at the same time does not absorb light at all. That is, the room remains white, it does not even use additional colors, but at the same time you definitely cannot call it boring.

Photos 12, 13 and 14

So, the first way to maximize the daylight in a dark room is with a white box. If the room is small, then the furniture and part of the decor can also be made white. For decor, you can use a few bright accessories or accessories in soothing colors, but in large quantities.

If this method is completely unacceptable for you, modify it: use the lightest colors that you can bear for background spaces, curtains and large furniture. Add white elements and accessories in saturated colors to them, as in photo 11. This will help reflect the maximum incoming daylight. Contrasting bright elements are needed to give the interior clarity, as in photos 13, 14 and 15, but there should not be too many of them - literally two or three.

Photos 16, 17 and 18

What colors are suitable for walls in dark rooms? From cold: light blue, light green and mint, light turquoise, light light pink - these colors reflect a lot of light. But light lilac, light blue and light gray are not recommended in dark rooms - with a lack of daylight, these colors acquire a dirty gray tint and look dreary.

Turquoise, as in photo 19, is used so often in bathroom design for a reason - it reflects a lot of light and makes the whole design very light.

Of the warm colors, dark rooms are suitable: milky white, cream, the lightest beige and ivory, light warm pink, very light pistachio, vanilla and all light yellow shades (they are especially indicated for northern rooms, since the yellow color of the walls partly compensates for the lack sunlight).

Peach, terracotta (they absorb a lot of light and in cloudy weather also get a dirty shade), olive and orange (they absorb a LOT of light) are not recommended. In photo 23 you can see how the bright orange color darkens the room.

Photo 22 and 23

In general, in dark rooms, experiments with bright background surfaces (floor, walls, ceiling) almost always fail - especially in the northern and eastern rooms. Photos 24 and 25 are an eloquent example. The top walls of the bathroom were painted with umber, a beautiful and rich color, and then they were repainted in blue. Feel the difference.

Photo 24 and 25

So, the second way to make a dark room lighter is “light + white + bright”: light walls and floors, a snow-white ceiling, white elements (doors and at least a couple of pieces of furniture) plus a couple of bright accessories for contrast.

The third way is almost forgotten for some reason, I don't even have good illustrations. This is a horizontal wallpaper combination according to the principle “darker bottom + very light top”. Approximately as in photo 26, only the colors do not have to be contrasting. But the furniture against the background of the lower part of the walls should, of course, be light.

This combination of wallpaper is well suited for dark rooms. The lower third of the walls are pasted over with darker wallpaper, the upper third with lighter ones, the joint is usually covered with a molding or wooden trim - white or in the color of the floor or doors.

Photo 27 and 28

Now for some small tricks that will help you lighten up the interior. Make some of the surfaces white glossy. If there is a built-in wardrobe in your room opposite the window, make the doors glossy and at least one of them mirrored. If there is no closet, but there is furniture on the side of the window, make it glossy white. In photo 27 you can see how well the white gloss reflects light.

A similar role can be played by a mirror placed in the same way - on the side or opposite the window (photo 28). But do not abuse mirrors - contrary to popular belief, an excess of mirrors is not so positively perceived in the interior - read more about this. In short, white gloss reflects only light, while a mirror reflects everything.

Use pastel colors in a dark room. The pastel contains a lot of white/whitish undertones and reflects daylight very well. Plus, all pastel colors are perfectly combined with each other and allow you to create very light, visually light, but not boring color combinations, as in the photo in the article at the link. Pastel is especially indicated if the room is dark because the window is shaded by trees.

Photos 29, 30 and 31

Hang only snow-white tulle and, if possible, white curtains (photos 29 and 30). If it is possible to do without curtains at all, closing only the lower part of the window so that the room is not visible from the street, great.

For example, if your room is shaded by dense foliage of trees growing in the yard, as in photo 31, or opens onto non-residential space, from where no one can look into your room, you can simply close the lower half of the windows with transparent film or muslin, or light white tulle - and thus win some more daylight. This method, of course, is not suitable for everyone.

Photo 32 and 33

Make the most of the window. In photo 32, you can see that the dining table is placed so that people do not receive daylight at all - there is nothing near the window, and the table is pushed into the most shaded place in the room. Consider arranging the furniture in your room so that you spend maximum time in its most lit place.

In a dark room, wall decor is important. Use paintings or posters in light, light colors. If you want more brightness, let them have bright colors too, but let the background and overall color be light and be sure that the top of the picture or poster is lighter than the bottom. Light flowers are very good (photo 33): orchids, jasmine, white peonies, white lilacs, sakura, lilies, etc.

Well, if you use paintings or posters behind glass (photo 34) - glass reflects daylight, although its disadvantage is that then the picture becomes less visible.

In dark bedrooms, use light-colored bedspreads (photo 35), especially if you use the bedroom during the daytime. Few people think about it, but a bedspread is a big object, and the larger your bed, the more important the bedspread plays in the overall color of the bedroom. Therefore, if your bedroom is dark, choose not only the curtains as light as possible, but also a bedspread. Light bedspreads are very beautiful, as you can see in the photo on the left. In general, bedspreads of the “light background + beautiful exquisite pattern” type are an excellent choice for any bedroom, but especially for a dark one.

Now a little about what is NOT suitable for dark rooms. All dull, faded, muted colors are contraindicated in dark rooms.

Neither for furniture, nor for carpets, nor for curtains, nor for decoration - for anything do not use colors such as in photo 36. In bright yellow electric light, they can be quite OK, but in daylight, as you can see, they take on such unpleasant "worn", especially in cloudy weather. Nothing makes a dark room look as gloomy as these colors. Moreover, there are very beautiful muted shades of green, lilac, burgundy - no matter how sorry, but you simply will not see their beauty.

Photo 36 and 37

Gray is not suitable for dark rooms. Gray, even its light shades, is in a very difficult relationship with daylight and especially with its lack. Gray during the day often takes on an unpleasant deathly hue, especially in rooms facing north and northeast. In photo 37 you see an example - an elegant gray shade would be very beautiful if it was better lit, otherwise it became flat and cold. At the same time, pay attention to this photo, how well the light floor works as a reflector.

Mother-of-pearl wallpapers are not suitable for dark rooms. Many people confuse gloss and mother-of-pearl, or think that anything that glitters and reflects light is good for a dark room. This is not true. Gloss reflects light without distortion, while mother-of-pearl distorts and darkens it. Silk-screen printing and metallography are not suitable for dark rooms - they darken the walls even more. In photo 38 you can see how strongly the intaglio absorbs light - about two meters from the window the wall is already completely dark. Imagine this wall just light, without mother-of-pearl, and you will understand the difference.

So, if you got a dark room - do not despair. Think carefully about its design and, in particular, the layout, discard dark and dull colors in favor of white, pastels and pure bright colors; ask in stores for samples of materials to look at them at home in daylight (or buy with a subsequent return if they don’t fit), approach the issue as meticulously as possible - and you will succeed. I hope you found this article helpful - if so, click the +1 button, "like" button, or your social media icon. Thank you!

A dark room- it's like Tolstoy's unhappy family - all bright rooms are equally good, each dark room is bad in its own way. If you got a room with a window facing north, with a window shaded by trees, with a small window, with a shaded balcony block, a long narrow room, an asymmetrical room - in general, if you got a dark room and need to make it lighter, then this article For you.

Here I will tell you how to make a dark room brighter in the daytime, with natural light, and I will not touch the electric light.

You don't have to use all the design techniques that I'll cover - choose the ones that suit you best and you like.

The first way to make a dark room brighter is the “white box”- white walls, white ceiling and white floor. In the photo on the right, you see a kitchen that is configured in such a way that only part of the space gets daylight, and the main part of the room is in the shade. The "white box" reflects more light.

_________________

In the photo on the left, you see a room that may seem bright - no, it's just that when photographed, a window with daylight always seems dazzlingly bright because the rest of the room is shaded. In fact, this room is very dark, if it were not a white box, then it would receive almost no daylight, since the window is north and the room is asymmetrical. Due to the white color of the “box” (floor, walls, ceiling), it becomes much lighter.

The photo on the right is a very dark narrow room, which in any color other than white would be just a crypt. The white floor, ceiling and furniture make it brighter during the day and smarter in the evening when the electric light is on.

The room in the photo on the left seems large and bright. In fact, it is small and not very well lit - there is one high narrow window and two very small ones, the total area of windows is small. But due to the white walls, floor and white furniture, a completely different impression is created.

Mentally paint the walls, floor, and furniture and you'll see the difference.

_________________

Many people are afraid of the “white box” solution, and even more so the “white box with white furniture” solution, because it seems very sterile, boring and “hospital”. But avoiding “white silence” in the interior is simple - add bright accessories and medium-sized furniture in bright colors, as in the photo on the left and below.

If you don't like bright colors, just use more details:

In the photo on the right, you see the most beautiful headboard, which greatly decorates a small dark room (pay attention to the height of the ceiling) and at the same time does not absorb light at all. That is, the room remains white, it does not even use additional colors, but at the same time you definitely cannot call it boring.

_________________

If this method is completely unacceptable for you, modify it: use the lightest colors that you can bear for background spaces, curtains and large furniture. Add white elements and accessories in rich colors to them, as in the photo on the right. This will help reflect the maximum amount of incoming daylight. Contrasting bright elements are needed to give the interior clarity, as in the photo below, but there should not be too many of them - literally two or three.

What colors are suitable for walls in dark rooms?

From cold: light blue, light green and mint, light turquoise, light light pink - these colors reflect a lot of light.

But light lilac, light blue and light gray are not recommended in dark rooms - with a lack of daylight, these colors acquire a dirty gray tint and look dreary.

The color turquoise, as in the photo below, is used so often in bathroom design for a reason - it reflects a lot of light and makes the whole design very light.

Peach, terracotta (they absorb a lot of light and in cloudy weather also get a dirty shade), olive and orange (they absorb a LOT of light) are not recommended. In the photo on the right, you can see how the bright orange color darkens the room.

In general, in dark rooms, experiments with bright background surfaces (floor, walls, ceiling) almost always fail - especially in the northern and eastern rooms. The photo below is an eloquent example. The top walls of the bathroom were painted with umber, a beautiful and rich color, and then they were repainted in blue. Feel the difference:

So, the second way to make a dark room lighter is “light + white + bright”: light walls and floor, snow-white ceiling, white elements (doors and at least a couple of pieces of furniture) plus a couple of bright accessories for contrast.

Third way somehow almost forgotten, I don't even have good illustrations. This is a horizontal combination of wallpaper according to the principle “bottom darker + top very light”. Approximately as in the photo on the right, only the colors do not have to be contrasting. But the furniture against the background of the lower part of the walls should, of course, be light.

Now for some small tricks that will help you lighten up the interior.

Make some surfaces white glossy. If there is a built-in wardrobe in your room opposite the window, make the doors glossy and at least one of them mirrored. If there is no closet, but there is furniture on the side of the window, make it glossy white. In the photo on the left, you can see how well the white gloss reflects light.

A similar role can be played by a mirror placed in the same way - on the side or opposite the window. But do not abuse mirrors - contrary to popular belief, an excess of mirrors is not so positively perceived in the interior - read more about this here. In short, white gloss reflects only light, while a mirror reflects everything.

Use in a dark room pastel shades . The pastel contains a lot of white/whitish undertones and reflects daylight very well. Plus, all pastel colors are perfectly combined with each other and allow you to create very light, visually light, but not boring color combinations, as in the photo on the left or in the photo in the article at the link.

Pastel is especially indicated if the room is dark because the window is shaded by trees.

Hang only snow-white tulle and, if possible, white curtains .

__________________
If it is possible to do without curtains at all, closing only the lower part of the window so that the room is not visible from the street, great.

For example, if your room is shaded by dense foliage of trees growing in the yard, as in the photo on the right, or opens onto a non-residential space from where no one can look into your room, you can simply close the lower half of the windows with a transparent film or muslin, or light white tulle - and thus win some more daylight. This method, of course, is not suitable for everyone.

Make the most of your window. In the photo on the right, you can see that the dining table is placed so that people do not receive daylight at all - there is nothing near the window, and the table is pushed into the most shaded place in the room. Consider arranging the furniture in your room so that you spend maximum time in its most lit place.

Wall decor is important in a dark room. Use paintings or posters in light, light colors. If you want more brightness, let them have bright colors too, but let the background and overall color be light and be sure that the top of the picture or poster is lighter than the bottom. Light flowers are very good: orchids, jasmine, white peonies, white lilacs, sakura, lilies, etc.

Well, if you use paintings or posters behind glass - glass reflects daylight, although its disadvantage is that then the picture becomes less visible:

Use light bedspreads in dark bedrooms especially if you use the bedroom during the day. Few people think about it, but a bedspread is a big object, and the larger your bed, the more important the bedspread plays in the overall color of the bedroom. Therefore, if your bedroom is dark, choose not only the curtains as light as possible, but also a bedspread. Light bedspreads are very beautiful, as you can see in the photo on the left. In general, bedspreads of the “light background + beautiful exquisite pattern” type are an excellent choice for any bedroom, but especially for a dark one.

Now a little about what is NOT suitable for dark rooms.

All dull, faded, muted colors are contraindicated in dark rooms..
Neither for furniture, nor for carpets, nor for curtains, nor for decor - do not use the colors in the photo on the right for anything. In bright yellow electric light, they can be quite ok, but in daylight, as you can see, they get such an unpleasant “worn out”, especially in cloudy weather. Nothing makes a dark room look as gloomy as these colors. Moreover, there are very beautiful muted shades of green, lilac, burgundy - no matter how sorry, but you simply will not see their beauty.

Gray does not suit dark rooms. Gray, even its light shades, is in a very difficult relationship with daylight and especially with its lack. Gray during the day often takes on an unpleasant deathly hue, especially in rooms facing north and northeast. In the photo on the left you see an example - an elegant gray shade would be very beautiful if it was better lit, otherwise it became flat and cold. At the same time, pay attention to this photo, how well the light floor works as a reflector.

Mother-of-pearl wallpapers are not suitable for dark rooms. Many people confuse gloss and mother-of-pearl, or think that anything that glitters and reflects light is good for a dark room. This is not true. Gloss reflects light without distortion, while mother-of-pearl distorts and darkens it. Silk-screen printing and metallography are not suitable for dark rooms - they darken the walls even more. In the photo on the right, you can see how strongly the intaglio absorbs light - about two meters from the window, the wall is already completely dark. Imagine this wall just light, without mother-of-pearl, and you will understand the difference.

Apr 3, 2017 Sergey

There are many ways to make a dark and sad room brighter. Small changes in lighting and color palette will transform any dark corner. Add bright colors of the facade of furniture and decorative elements to the lighting, and the room will not only become lighter, but also visually increase in volume. If funds allow, try expanding the windows and replacing the flooring, and get a cozy corner instead of a gloomy den. To learn more about how you can lighten a room in different ways, read the following tips.

Steps

Color and lighting - get creative

Paint the ceiling white. Dark woods and dark ceiling paint darken the atmosphere. Buy 1-2 cans of white paint and apply it over the old finish. White color does not absorb, but reflects light, so you will immediately feel the difference.

If you don't like pure white, use a light yellow or cream shade.
Even if the walls remain the same color, the white ceiling will make the room much lighter.

Limit colorful accents. You may want to paint everything in your favorite color, but try to refrain from deep and rich tones. Let the main surfaces be light, and color accents are used only for individual decorative elements on the walls and ceiling. Remember that a saturated color will not reveal all its richness in a dark room, and the overall atmosphere will darken even more. If the design of the room cannot do without dark shades of blue, green or another saturated color, you can paint only one wall in one color, and use a lighter shade for the rest.
- Use a patterned stencil. Decorate the ceiling around the perimeter, so the room will be lighter and the color accents will match your favorite palette. Use your favorite color to spice up your ceiling with leaves, florals, geometric abstractions, or other patterns. You can use ready-made stencils or create your own pattern.
- You can only paint the ceiling plinth and door jambs with a more saturated color.
Make the most of natural lighting. If access to natural light is limited, it is necessary to carefully treat every ray of the sun. If dark curtains block light, you can use the following methods:
- Hang light, airy curtains on the windows that can let in light. For example, cream curtains or tulle will provide a sense of comfort and privacy without blocking the sunlight from flooding the room.
- If you prefer blinds, do not use blank options. Plastic or wooden blinds completely block the access of light. Look for a fabric product made of light-colored fabric that can let light through.
Replace the central overhead lighting with several lights around the perimeter. The harsh light of one chandelier further emphasizes the overall darkness of the room. Use soft sources of artificial light instead of hard lighting to make the room look as pleasant and natural as possible.
- Use track lighting. To fix track lights, not wiring is used, but a frame with an electrical conductor, which allows you to fix the light source anywhere. Thanks to track lighting, the room will become much brighter, and the atmosphere will remain soft.
- Place several floor lamps at strategic points. Use light-colored lampshades so that the whole room is saturated with soft light.
Use diffused light. If it is impossible to install a lamp in a dark corner, install several spotlight lamps on the walls or ceiling, directing their rays in the right direction. Reflecting from the walls, soft diffused light will expel a gloomy atmosphere and gloomy shadows.
- Don't forget the candles. It is a noble and pleasant source of additional light, allowing you to create a warm and friendly atmosphere. Candles can be lit even without turning off the artificial lighting.
Add functional lighting. If you often do a certain job, add some light to your work area. For example, you can separately illuminate the table top, sewing corner, library or piano.

Use brighter lamps. Replace your lamps with more powerful ones, such as compact fluorescent (CFL) lamps. Such lamps emit more light, and their energy consumption is less. If you simply use a higher wattage incandescent bulb, the overall atmosphere may remain dark.
- You can experiment with the color of the lighting. Daylight lamps differ in saturation. Depending on the power, they give light of different temperatures, and daylight can be cold or warm - closer to the yellow or blue part of the spectrum. The soft color of the low temperature lamp gives a warm, yellowish tint to the light.
Sometimes it's better not to change anything. If you can't hide the overall shading, use that to your advantage. Drop the idea of brightening up the room, and try to create a cozy shaded corner. Use dark and thick colors to paint the walls, as well as massive interior elements in the style of an old-fashioned office. If you want to evoke a feeling of majestic atmosphere, steel and gray-blue shades are more often used for the interior.

Add gloss to furniture and decorative elements
1. Evaluate all interior elements, including decorative details. Look at the wall paintings, the bookcase, and all the other objects in the room. Some details can overshadow the overall atmosphere. Perhaps the replacement of the black-and-white poster with something brighter will return vitality? Shelves crammed with books, the dark greenery of a greenhouse, a collection of dolls and other things can also bring dark notes to the overall atmosphere. If you really intend to make the room brighter, you need to be determined and say goodbye to old things, or rather, to their location in this room.
  - Don't expose the entire library for display. Choose your top 10 favorite books and put them in the best light. Use art and bright design ideas to fill the empty space with something more cheerful.
  - If you love plants, consider changing your range. Discard large plants with dark green leaves, replacing them with lighter representatives of the flora. A few succulent leaves or ferns make a beautiful accent, but an excess of greenery makes the room darker.
2. Hang mirrors. The vacated space can become even lighter if you hang a few mirrors. They will reflect every ray of light that managed to get into your room. In this case, it is better to use light and airy mirrors with light frames, and the room will definitely become lighter.
  - Another advantage of mirrors is the visual increase in the volume of the room.
3. Replace dark furniture. Perhaps the feeling of darkness is caused by bookshelves that filled the walls from floor to ceiling? What about the dark mahogany pedestal on top of the TV? Do heavy canopies around a massive wooden bed burden the interior? Dark and massive furniture can overshadow even a bright room. If you need to add light, use light wood furniture.
  - You don't have to buy new furniture. Think about whether it is possible to paint the usual elements of the interior with light paint?
  - The dark upholstery of upholstered armchairs and sofas can be hidden by throwing a light coverlet on top.
4. Hide all wires. Power cords are usually black, and letting them snake around the floor will make the room look darker (and messier). Hide appliance cords in the walls, or at least tie them together using Velcro tape. You can fix the reins near the plinth using construction tape or light-colored electrical winding. Such a tiny change can make a big difference in the look of a room.
  
  Install wall shelving. By reducing the amount of furniture, you will make the room brighter. Try replacing your standard bookshelves and desk with wall-mounted shelving. Use light colors and woods. Such shelves will get rid of heavy furniture, besides, they cast less shadow.
Major changes
1. Install a glass door. Stained glass windows allow you to add more light to the room, and glass inserts are used for both internal and external doors. Even massive doors are perceived much easier if they are decorated with glass stained-glass windows. To further increase the flow of light, cut a window above the door. If replacing the doors isn't an option, try just painting them a lighter color.
  
  Eliminate extra walls blocking light. See what objects or walls stand in the way of the light. Can they be removed? For example, there may be a small partition between a dark corridor and a living room. It can be removed (if it is not a load-bearing wall supporting the ceiling), and the room will become much lighter.
  - Having decided to remove the wall, contact professional builders. In some houses, even internal partitions have a functional value. It is also possible that the wall was built using asbestos or lead, and demolition work is hazardous to health.
2. Cut through the big window. If you plan to live in this space for a long time, it is worth investing in window extensions. Such an ultimate solution will leave no room for darkness, and its implementation may be easier than you think. Check with a construction company. Only a specialist is able to determine the possibility of installing another window or expanding existing openings. In addition, builders will orient on the cost of materials and the amount of necessary work. At the same time, you can expand the doorway so that more light passes through the stained-glass windows.
3. Modern models of fluorescent lamps are quite compact. They give a lot of light in warm colors and consume half as much electricity as incandescent lamps of the same power.
4. ! Light! Camera! Shooting! Make your room decor worthy of the best movie. The intriguing contrast of light and dark will create the impression of a special "chic" in the interior. Focused light focuses attention on individual elements, while the entire surrounding space seems brighter. Highlight some subjects with directional lighting. Use track or pendant type LED spotlights (LED MR16") with a beam angle of 10, 15, 25 or 60 degrees to correlate the beam width with the dimensions of the illuminated interior element. As a rule, the light source is installed at a distance of 2.5-3 m from Set the angle of the luminaire and the required lens.It is not necessary to illuminate the entire object, sometimes it is enough to highlight only the main details.
5. Don't banish darkness completely. Reading, sewing and other activities require good lighting, but semi-darkness is sometimes helpful. For example, for a romantic mood, a few candles or accented lamps are enough.
6. Wash your windows! Get rid of dust, and more light will enter the room.
7. When planning the placement of lights, think about how you will use the room and where shadows (including your shadow) will fall. Use a portable lamp to experimentally determine the best location for fixed fixtures.

Probably, many are faced with such a problem as the correct interior design in a dark room. Some rooms in our apartments or houses become dark for various reasons:

this may be due to the fact that there is little sun on this side of the house;
due to closely spaced trees or neighboring houses;
as a result of the redevelopment of the apartment, if the illumination of the room was not taken into account.

But with the right selection of wallpaper, you can adjust all this and visually brighten the room.

Ways to solve the problem

Of course, the problem can be solved with lighting, but you won’t keep the lights on all day and night, it’s expensive and not necessary. You can choose the color palette of wallpaper for the walls of a small dark room. First of all, the wallpaper should be light colors: peach or golden. It is not necessary that they dominate in the colors of the wallpaper, interspersed with these colors are enough. When choosing wallpaper, you need to take into account that by mixing different shades and colors, you can achieve the feeling of a bright room, but everything needs a measure: if you overdo it, it will turn out motley, the room will become even darker, so you will achieve the opposite effect. We don't need strong contrast.

To achieve the desired effect, you can not use wallpaper with large patterns, this worsens the visual image of the room, it will seem smaller and darker. A small pattern, a small relief and a discreet color are the most suitable. If you decide to use wallpaper without a pattern, then get plain wallpaper in pastel colors.

To increase the illumination of the room, use this method: paste over the wall opposite the window with wallpaper with a small pattern and a light tone. And cover the remaining three walls with wallpaper that has a darker tone that matches the color of the light wall. You will get the visual effect of increasing light. The thing is that the weak light from the street, reflected on a light wall, creates the feeling of two light walls.

Color combination selection

A dark living room can be brightened up by choosing and combining colors so that it turns out original. But do not rely on the contrast of colors, this will only worsen the situation. Apply the same scheme as above, just decorate the room with bright and light elements, for example, decorations or pictures, but do not overdo it, because our task is to make the room not colorful, but light. Two or three bright colors are enough to bring a touch of holiday and comfort.

Matte wallpapers absorb sunlight, so they are not suitable for us. You need the opposite: glossy wallpaper that reflects light and illuminates the room. It would be nice if there are sparkles in the wallpaper. Creative individuals can be advised to paint the wallpaper on their own, enjoying the play of colors and admiring the effect made by their own hands. This type of wallpaper, like liquid wallpaper, may well suit you. Light colors, especially yellow, will turn the room into a clearing lit by sunlight. After all, liquid wallpaper contains reflective glosses.

In rooms with windows facing north, it is preferable to use cream-colored wallpaper. White color will be similar to gray tone and will create an unpleasant impression of being in such a room. Adding yellow to one of the walls will give the impression of a sunny day.

Don't be afraid to experiment! If you are not sure about your choice, take a few pieces of wallpaper for a sample (ask the seller) and see how they look in different lighting conditions: in bright sunshine, in cloudy weather, with the lights on. Such a fitting will accurately show whether the colors you have chosen are combined.

The influence of different tones on a person's mood

If you're having trouble choosing color options to lighten up a dark room, knowing how colors affect a person's mood can come in handy. Here is a description of the psychological impact of color on people:

Peach-colored wallpapers are great for the bedroom, they make the room bigger and brighter. This color is uplifting in gloomy rainy weather.
Beige wallpapers create a calm and peaceful atmosphere, they are also suitable for bedrooms or a living room. Combined with white, creating light warm tones, when combined with other, slightly darker tones, create a sense of calm.
Wallpapers in golden colors stand out from the usual color scheme. They add a little solemnity, warmth, tenderness. An overabundance of this color will spoil the impression of the room, use it as small additions to beige or light brown wallpaper.
Cheerful yellow goes well with almost any other color, creating the effect of a sunny day in the room, great for brightening up dark rooms.
on impression with yellow. Color contributes to the working mood, raises the tone, attracts to communication. It is undesirable to use such wallpaper in the bedroom, it is best to glue them where your whole family often gathers.
Brown wallpapers can make a person sad, but when combined with light shades, they can make the room look more noble and austere. But they require more artificial lighting as they darken the room.
Pink color is typical for romance, sensuality. Light pink shade evokes calmness, bright colors excite. These wallpapers are quite suitable for brightening up a girl's bedroom or bathroom.
Aggressive red should be used in places where splendor and festivity are appropriate. This color stimulates the appetite, so it should be used in the dining room or in the kitchen.
Purple wallpaper creates a sense of space in small rooms. It would seem that this is a dark tone, but it does an excellent job of visually expanding the rooms.
Blue color, on the contrary, narrows the space. This cold soothing color reduces activity and causes drowsiness.
Blue color is the color of romantic people, it gives a feeling of comfort, reduces excitability. In some companies, blue rooms are used to resolve conflicts and disputes. Suitable for small rooms, allowing you to expand the space, suitable for children's rooms.
Green is compared with life, confidence, visually pushes the walls. In such a room it is easier to cope with anger, irritability, negativity.
Striped wallpapers affect a person not so much with color as with a geometric pattern. Vertical stripes visually increase the height of the room. Horizontal stripes give the impression of increased width. Bright colorful stripes create a good mood, playfulness. Classic - strict style.

As you can see from this article, the color scheme can be chosen to increase light and space. For this, there are certain colors that can affect a person in different ways. You just need to decide what you want to achieve from a particular room.

Ecology of life. Home: A sun-drenched room is the perfect place to work on the interior. However, not every room has such a wonderful property.

A room flooded with sunlight is an ideal field for working on the interior. However, not every room has such a wonderful property. Let's look at the basic principles of light distribution and discuss how a room can be made lighter, and therefore visually more spacious.

1. Turn the room into a "white cube"

Nothing expands spaces like blurred boundaries between planes. Paint the walls and floor white, lay a light-colored floor covering, and your room will turn into a magical “white cube”. Under a fleeting glance, its boundaries will be erased, and a look that has not found contrasting points of contact between the walls, the ceiling and the floor will perceive the space as much larger than it actually is.

Let's now list the materials that can help you bring this idea to life:

Floors - parquet-board, laminate, solid wood, parquet, cork (now it is already produced with all kinds of surface designs), vinyl coating, self-leveling floors.

Walls - paint, plaster, wallpaper, wall panels.

Ceiling - paint.

2. Use the power of mirrors

The mirror has a huge impact on the illumination of the room, if used correctly. Position the mirror so that it reflects the window and the light wall. Thus, you seem to double the effect and increase the amount of light in the room. It doesn’t matter what size or shape the mirror will be - a huge full-length canvas or a small decor made of mirrored glass located at different angles. You need to see in the room its main advantages and winning sides in terms of illumination and, with the help of a reflective object, increase their influence.

3. Use pastel colors

In poorly lit rooms, experimenting with color combinations can be very dangerous. That is why we highly recommend avoiding all dark colors and grays. The property of surfaces to reflect each other will eventually lead to the fact that the low degree of illumination of your room will only worsen. Combinations that could be very noble and interesting in a large bright room run the risk of being withered and depressing in this kind of room.

When selecting materials, choose shades that are even lighter than you would initially like. The lack of lighting and brightness in the room will make the wallpaper look darker than it appeared to you in the store under fluorescent lights or bright sunlight.

4. Don't cover your windows

The window in the apartment is the only source of daylight, and in a poorly lit room it is simply a crime to curtain it. It is not necessary to completely decorate the window. You can hang light-colored but thick curtains on either side of the window so that you can close them as needed. It is better not to hang the tulle at all, or constantly move it closer to the curtains. This will create layering and textiles on the windows will look even more interesting. With this design option, you should take care of the appearance of the window itself, the condition of the window sill and the battery.

There are so many design options for radiators, ranging from retro style to designer novelties using the latest technology. Choose the one that best suits your interior or just cover the existing one (if it's ugly) with a neat decorative grille.

5. Watch out for light reflections

As you know, light rays tend to be reflected. And the texture of the walls and surrounding objects greatly affects the degree of this reflection. For example, glossy surfaces reflect better than matte ones, and light ones reflect better than dark ones. A smooth surface is more beneficial in this sense than a rough texture.

Remember that every object in the room, and wall coverings - especially (because there is a very large area), affect the surrounding objects and surfaces, and they, in turn, affect them. The more reflections you provide, the brighter the room will appear.

For example, removing a large carpet with a high pile from the floor, you almost double the illumination, and this can be checked using special devices. Think in advance what objects should surround you, and if your goal is to brighten the room, first of all think about the texture and color of these objects. Plan for this, because without accurate calculations, you can end up with a lurid design and poor organization. And only planning will help you correct existing shortcomings.

By applying these simple tricks, you can significantly improve the illumination of your room. In this case, it is quite possible to apply all the tips regarding one room - after all, it is simply impossible to overdo it with daylight. But if suddenly it still turns out to be insufficient, there is always artificial lighting, the decorative possibilities of which are so wide that this drawback at first glance, with the right supply, can be made the biggest plus of your room.

The main thing is not to despair and not to lament, but to accept the circumstances as they are, while firmly knowing that in the end everything will definitely turn out great. published

On the dark side: how to make a room brighter? Given: dark room. How to make it lighter? Curtain color for a dark room

Steps

Color and lighting - get creative

Add gloss to furniture and decorative elements

Major changes

Ways to solve the problem

Color combination selection

The influence of different tones on a person's mood