While we’re still keen on bright and bold colours for rooms, it can be difficult for some spaces to handle these schemes if they don’t get much light. If you’re looking for a change from neutral and greige colour schemes but you’re worried that these changes might make smaller rooms too dark and claustrophobic, you’ll have to work on the lighting.
Make the most of your natural light
One problem may be that there’s not enough natural light coming in to the room. Fortunately, this issue is often easily solved. You could, if possible, create an extra window or skylight, especially if you have a south-facing wall.
If this isn’t an option, then doing something with your existing windows. Thick, plush curtains might look cosy and luxurious, but if they’re obscuring half of the window even when they’re drawn, that’s a lot of light you’re missing out on. Try replacing your heavy drapes with thinner or lighter fabric, or maybe even a translucent film on the pane itself so that you’re getting as many rays as possible into the space.
Use some white paint
You don’t have to go all out with the bold and vibrant colours. Mixing it up with some white or paler shades will bring up a room that’s just a tiny bit too dark for a full makeover. Using glossy finishes and metallics can also help to reflect any available light back into the room regardless of their colour.
Use better artificial lighting
However much natural light a room gets, it’ll always be dark at night-time! If you’re looking to bring a bit of extra light, colour and mood into a space, then you have a huge range of artificial lighting to do the job for you.
You can have concentrated spotlights for workspaces, diffused lighting for nooks and crannies or dark corners, as well as strips of coloured LED lights for underneath and even behind cupboards. Stop thinking in terms of one harsh overhead bulb backed up by a corner lamp and get creative!
Keep everything clean and shiny
It might seem obvious, but cleaner and brighter surfaces reflect more light. If you have shiny or chrome fittings in your kitchen, make sure they’re always dust and grease-free. Washing down walls and skirting boards also keeps things light and bright as it’s easy to overlook how dingy surfaces like these can get, especially if you live with kids and pets.
