Windows are the eyes of the house. Sometimes they look at the dark northern side, and sometimes they stare at the wall of a neighboring building. It also happens that an obstacle in the form of a spreading tree crown stands in the way of sunlight. We cannot influence the location of buildings and vegetation in the local area, but we can use several easy-to-implement design techniques that will help make your home bright and cozy.
White and warm
The most popular way to visually make a space more sunny is to use white in the decoration. Even a small room will look more spacious if you paint the walls and ceiling white.
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The Scandinavian “total white” no longer looks relevant in 2020, but the neutral light finish is not going anywhere - it is the ideal “canvas” for any shades and style solutions.
Dilute the white space with strokes of warm colors.
White goes well with sunny yellows, spicy tones and light woods. It is better to avoid dark and cool colors in a room with a lack of sunlight.
Disadvantages of use: forewarned is forearmed
Knowing about all the advantages of dark shades, we must not forget about some of the features of their use. The disadvantages of such an organization are related to the difficulties of choosing a style and the need to soften the perception.
Dull and boring design: how to avoid it
Gray, blue and some other shades are often perceived as joyless and depressing. This state of affairs is especially obvious in rooms where dark colors dominate.
Advice ! In order to dilute the oppressive atmosphere of such a room, it is recommended to use light accessories and place bright accents.
Red and white - bright accents Source googleapis.com
See also: Catalog of house projects with an area of up to 60 sq.m., with large windows.
Visual reduction of space
Dark color in interior design affects the visual perception of space. At the same time, the room may seem uncomfortable and small. Particular care should be taken when choosing primary shades for a small room with poor natural light.
Advice ! In ambiguous situations, it is recommended to use deep colors not for all walls, but for one or two.
Choosing a style: what difficulties await
Dark shades are more demanding when choosing a style direction, and for some they are practically not acceptable. Outsiders include eco-style, Provence and some others. They favor deep shades - minimalism, modern, avant-garde.
Shocking design Source raspberryflavouredwindows.com
Difficulty in choosing accents
For rooms in which dark is used over large areas, covering all the walls, you should immediately decide how the accents should be located. It must be borne in mind that a rich shade will attract attention, so it should be applied carefully.
Advice ! The only dark room in the room does not fit well with the rack with audio and video equipment located in front of it.
Features of lighting organization
In order for a room with dark walls not to look gloomy, it must be well lit. This requirement applies to both natural and artificial lighting.
If the location of the apartment is unsuccessful, the windows of which are covered by lush vegetation or neighboring buildings, it is almost impossible to achieve good passage of sunlight. As a result, the apartment will look dark and uncomfortable.
Large window openings provide good natural light Source wixstatic.com
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in lighting and finishing materials.
Artificial lighting should create coziness. To ensure that there are no unlit, uncomfortable corners in the room, you can organize lighting and use local lighting.
Advice ! The more dark colors in the interior, the greater the requirements for lighting organization.
Light and mirrors
Mirrors in the interior are a favorite trick of designers who want to bring more natural light into the room. Mirrors catch and reflect the sun's rays. This is an always up-to-date functional accessory that will fit into any interior style.
One or two large mirrors for a small room is the maximum; you should not turn the space into a mirror maze.
Elegant gray
He is at the peak of his popularity. Designers successfully use this color to embody sophisticated style. It is very calm, versatile and elegant at the same time. And besides, shades of silver do not make the room darker.
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Minus obstacles
During the daytime, blinds and curtains should be fully open. If the neighboring house faces yours, use light white tulle: it will create an atmosphere of privacy without much damage to natural light.
In rooms where privacy is not required, you can abandon interior doors or replace traditional door panels with glass ones.
If the room requires functional zoning, use open shelving or glass partitions, which can be combined with textile ones for greater privacy. Then the light will be able to “walk” around the room without hindrance.
Dark chocolate
There is a belief that dark colors do not suit a dark room, although this is not actually the case with chocolate. The interior of chocolate brown in tandem with white turns out stylish, elegant and modern.
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Gloss and metal
Glossy and metallic surfaces reflect light well. Use them to decorate the ceiling, include them in the interior as furniture fronts and/or decorative elements.
Kitchen aprons, lamps, furniture legs and fittings in a golden or copper tone will add brightness to any setting.
Finish color
Dark apartments require thoughtful renovation. Proper finishing of the walls, ceiling and floor is fundamentally important. It should be light in order to visually expand the space, fill it with air and light. With beige shades the room will become more comfortable, with peach shades it will be more joyful, with blue shades it will be calmer.
Walls
Suitable colors for interior paint and wallpaper: milky white, blue, peach, beige, as well as delicate pastel shades.
Vinyl wallpaper 0.53x10 m plain color beige - 835 RUR, Leroy Merlin
Warm white color has a magical property: it reflects and diffuses natural and artificial light. As a result, the dark room is filled with air. White surfaces make the apartment brighter due to their high reflectivity.
Interior paint TEX Profi white 9 l, consumption per layer 1 l/8-12 sq. m — 1099 rub., OBI
Attention: if the windows face north, it is better not to use pure white for the walls. Under the sun's rays it will turn gray, and the room will feel cold and uncomfortable. Warm colors will save the situation: light yellow, apricot, golden.
Colorant JOBI 11163, apricot, 500 ml - 182 RUR, Castorama
An important feature: white walls and ceilings reflect the color of the lamp. Consider this when choosing cool or warm shades of lighting. But you will have to forget about gray and dark colors: in any lighting they will make the rooms even darker. Such colors “extinguish” light and absorb it.
It's good if the walls shine a little. The more shine, the stronger the effect of reflecting sunlight or artificial light. The shine also enhances the color, it seems brighter.
Vinyl wallpaper SLG Gauthier 0967/4 white-gold 1.06 m — 999 rub., OBI
The optimistic yellow color gives an amazing effect. It is associated with the sun, so in dark rooms it “deceives” the eye and creates the impression of a bright sunny day. This doesn't mean you need to paint your walls yellow. It is quite enough if it is a color accent in the partition or on the shortest wall in the room. This will make it warm, cozy, and lift your spirits.
Washable paint Colors, yellow wheat, 5 l - 1098 RUR, Castorama
Pay special attention to such details as the pattern on the wallpaper. A bright, ornate pattern, excessive saturation, or variegation are not needed. But it is not necessary to glue plain wallpaper everywhere. A barely noticeable, simple and subdued pattern is perfectly acceptable.
Vinyl wallpaper 0.53x10 m, squares, white — 601 RUR, Leroy Merlin
Cover one wall or part of it with wallpaper with a colorful pattern. This effective design technique will visually expand the room without reducing its illumination. Even one strip of bright, colorful wallpaper is enough to make the room look fresher and more beautiful.
Wallpaper paper 0.53x10 m stripes color white - 471 RUR, Leroy Merlin
Textured wall decoration is not suitable for dark apartments. Therefore, it is better to avoid embossed plaster and stucco. The slightest depressions on the surface actively absorb light, and the room looks darker.
Ceiling
A white ceiling of any configuration is the right solution for a dark room. Glossy stretch fabric will enhance the effect due to its reflectivity. The matte surface looks less advantageous, but due to backlighting and proper organization of central lighting, this nuance will not interfere with brightening the upper part of the rooms.
Flooring
A dark floor is a disaster for a room with little natural light. There should be nothing dark in the apartment. We correct the situation with the help of light carpet, laminate, parquet and linoleum.
Household carpet Ideal Matisse 302, class 22, width 4 m, sq.m. — 890 rub., Castorama
Parquet board Tarkett Samba 550051047 arctic oak, sq.m. — 1958 RUR, Castorama
Laminate Kronospan Expert Choice 31kl./7 mm. Snezhny Oak, apt. m. — 315 rub., OBI
Semi-commercial linoleum IVC Greenline Berlin 506 width 3 m, sq.m. — 639 rub., OBI
Glass and mirrors in the interior
Furniture with mirrored and glass doors is not the only option for using reflective surfaces in the interior. Mirrors, crystal chandeliers and sconces, and shiny metal surfaces increase the amount of light in the room.
An effective technique is to make mirrored slopes of windows and doors with a slight slope into the room. Just imagine how much the amount of light in the room will increase! Mirrors not only transmit light like glass, but double it. You can decorate the wall opposite the window with a mirror panel - it will turn out original and beautiful.
