Designer Tricks For Brightening Up a Dark Room

As so many more of us adopt the practice of working from home, being able to use as much space as possible is essential for our health and wellbeing. Little wonder then, that those tiny box rooms, dark basements, and windowless attic rooms are being pressed into service, whether they’re being turned into office space, or we’re swapping rooms around. But particularly dark and dingy rooms, without a lot of natural daylight, don’t always inspire us to get in there and really make use the space. With that in mind, we thought we’d pull together some of the best tips and tricks that we know designers use regularly to make the most of darker spaces, so you can make the most of every inch of your home. While some of our tips will involve getting the stepladder and some paint pots out, if that isn’t an option because you’re renting, we’ve got plenty of ideas that will help you to make those darker rooms more liveable.

Why Is Natural Daylight So Important For Our Homes?

The human body needs exposure to natural daylight on a regular basis. Visible daylight can help to regulate levels of melatonin, which is an important hormone for regulating our body clocks, including sleep patterns and digestion. Going without natural daylight for long periods of time can lead to drops in production of serotonin, which can then lead to depression. This is why, during the winter months, when most of us spend the majority of our time indoors, so many of us end up feeling the winter blues, which is also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). While this might not be so much of a problem in rooms that aren’t used that often, for rooms like home offices where we spend a lot of time, we need to make use of artificial light as best we can.

Colour Schemes For Dark Rooms

If you’re able to completely redecorate your dark room, then picking your décor wisely is possibly one of the better ways to ensure that you can make the most of the space. Although choosing lighter shades is often preferred, there is always the option to use the darker feel of the room as a design feature.