Colour schemes for rooms with little light

10 May 2022

Tiny windows, low ceilings, and odd angles can all contribute to a space feeling darker than you’d like. Choosing the proper paint colours, on the other hand, can have an immediate positive impact on a room’s vibrancy. While it may appear to be a good idea to paint a dark room with the brightest white you can find, this is not the greatest idea.

Since it reflects natural daylight, bright white is extremely intense. As a result, when there isn’t enough natural light, white doesn’t help to open up the room as much as you might imagine. Instead, your space may appear flat and, in some cases, even darker. When it comes to white, a fair rule of thumb is that if you have to switch the light on during the day, it’s simply not bright enough.

Here is a selection of our go-to dark-room colours. Remember that the room’s size, layout, and purpose will determine which colours will work best.

Colour schemes for dark living rooms

It may seem counterintuitive to add even more grey to a gloomy and dull room, but it can work! It all depends on the colour you choose; if you keep your lighting  to medium hues, you’ll be astonished at how much a room can lighten up. To keep things warm, think really soft tones like dove grey or greige (a blend of grey and beige). Greys with a bit of colour in the foundation, especially with a tinge of lavender or rose for extra warmth, are also nice choices.

If you decide on a neutral colour for the walls, add a splash of colour with some accessories to add even more brightness to your living room. Our Velvet Scallop Print Cushions are the perfect choice to add the finishing touches to a room you can escape to after a long day. Available in Blue, Orange and Neutral, these cheeky cushions are sure to put a smile on your face and inject some fun into your living room.

Velvet Scallop Print Cushions

 

Bedroom colour scheme for a dark room

Sage green

Sage is a grey-green shade. It’s quite classic and earthy, and it’s frequently used for a refined impact in modern, minimalist bedrooms. Darker rooms can feel cramped and claustrophobic, however a natural sage green can completely open up a space, especially when paired with whites and neutrals. You could go all out and paint the entire room, or just keep it muted with an accent wall, but whatever you do make sure you choose the right accessories! The Velvet Scallop Print Cushion in Neutral is the perfect addition to a beautifully natural sage green bedroom, especially if you’re a fan of the minimalist look. Sprinkle some trailing houseplants around your furniture and you’ve created a relaxing safe haven of a bedroom. 

Duck egg blue

Cooler paint colours make walls recede, giving the impression of greater space and light. Duck egg blue, especially when combined with clean white accessories, helps to brighten up a room. 

It’s soothing and goes well with a variety of different colours, providing life to dull or dark spaces. Duck Egg Blue contrasts beautifully with other chalky colours, brightening up beige and taupe. You can make it more glamorous by utilising it in combination with a monochrome theme or by contrasting it with rich browns.

For both these colours, we’d recommend adding a spot of glamour with our Femme Vase in White, a gorgeous way to grab attention and distract from the fact the room may be lacking in natural light. You could style your vase with an over the top bunch of wildflowers or introduce a more natural vibe with a trailing green plant, one thing for certain is the Femme Vase is a real showstopper accessory.  

Embrace the darkness

If darker colour schemes are more of your interior personality, why not embrace it? Forest green is a versatile colour that may be used to match or coordinate other colours in your home. Other colours naturally occurring in woodland regions or fields can be brought in with forest green. Another approach is to use comparable colours, such as blue tones. Forest green and white can help to keep a place appearing fresh. The point is that you have a lot of decorating alternatives when you use forest green as your base colour.

A popular trend this season has been using forest or emerald greens with black and gold accents, which really gives a room a gilded and glamorous feel. The Femme Vase in Black fits the bill if this is the home decor theme you want to create, you really can’t go wrong with the rich yet moody effects of forest green and black.

Femme Vase in Black

 

A brighter home with Mila Maven

Whichever colour scheme you choose to brighten your home, make it even more unique with Mila Maven home interiors. Our capsule collection boasts bold and vibrant cushions, relaxed and warming wool throws and luxuriously rich scented candles and reed diffusers. You can browse all our products at milamaven.com, and don’t forget to tag us in your Mila Maven home styles on Instagram!