No matter how your house is laid out, there’s a good chance you’ve got a room that always seems too dark. Sometimes this can happen because of a lack of windows and natural light, and sometimes it has to do with the paint colors or other factors. Either way, if you’re looking to go lighter or brighter, here are a few of our favorite painting ideas.
Know When to Choose “Light…”
“Light” and “bright” are two words that are often used interchangeably, but when talking about painting ideas, it’s important to be specific. When we say “light,” colors, we’re usually talking about the various shades of white. If you’ve got a great source of natural light, these colors can create the illusion of a larger space, and of course, they can lighten the room. But they also have a tendency to seem harsh under artificial light.
…and Know When to Choose “Bright!”
When we say “bright,” we’re referring to vibrant, highly-saturated hues like orange, red, and often yellow. In situations where you don’t have great natural light, you’ll probably want to lean toward these types of color. They work for a few different reasons. First, we tend to associate warm colors with natural light sources. That’s simple enough. The second reason is a little more complicated: Saturated colors tend to be more pleasant when illuminated by artificial light. In that respect, even less-vibrant hues (picture a yellow-green) can sometimes work to brighten a room. Keep that idea in mind as you read our next suggestion.
Test Paint Colors with the Room’s Light Source
That “Origami White” paint color that looked so good during the daytime in a well-lit home improvement store? It might not look so appealing during the evening at home. That’s because wall paint looks much different in natural light than it does in artificial light. Consider the type of light in your room before you finalize your paint colors. All colors are affected by the various types of artificial illumination, but light colors (whites) can sometimes look different in a bad way. Conversely, warm hues like orange and yellow look different in artificial light, but that difference isn’t usually detrimental to the brightness of your room.
These are just a few of our ideas on how to paint a room to make it appear lighter and brighter. If you need ideas on making a room look larger, see our article on interior design ideas to make rooms look bigger. For more suggestions, or if you need a little help with your project, give us a call at 1-888-PAINTING. We proudly serve the Jacksonville, FL area. Our licensed painters are anxious to hear your vision for your home, and they’ve got plenty of interior design ideas that can help you bring it to life!
