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4 Tips for Making a Dark Room Feel Brighter

A dark room can feel small, cramped and uninviting. By selecting the right paint and décor, you can make even a small room feel lighter and more spacious. Here are some tips for making a dark room feel brighter.

dark bright room

    • Paint the room's ceiling white. Dark colors make a ceiling feel lower, which makes the room feel smaller and darker than it actually is. Painting the ceiling white reflects more light, and the entire room will feel larger and brighter as a result.
    • For the walls, select a paint with a satin or eggshell finish. These finishes reflect light around the room, making the whole room appear brighter. In contrast, paints with matte finishes absorb light, which darkens the room. If darker colors appeal to you more, you’ve got a few options. Choose a color scheme of light or neutral colors for the walls, and decorate with darker colored furniture, curtains, rugs, lamps, etc. Another option is to use a dark color for an accent wall and use lighter colors for the other walls.
    • Use mirrors to reflect light around the room. Mirrors are a great way to make a room feel not only brighter, but bigger. Place a mirror opposite a source of light to create an optimal light reflection throughout the room. The larger the mirror, the more light will be reflected.
    • Capitalize on natural light. Consider replacing solid doors with glass doors, or doors that feature glass panels. This will allow more light to filter into the room. Avoid window treatments that obstruct natural light. Simple options such as blinds allow light into the room while still providing privacy.


Do you need to brighten up one of your rooms? Major Painting Company offers commercial and residential painting services to those in the Lee's Summit and Kansas City areas. Please contact us to learn more.