Why Is My Room Dark? (Tips To Brighten A Dark Room)

If a dark room was never part of your intention or inspiration when designing your interior and you’re struggling to enjoy your time in this room, I completely feel your pain.

For a long time, my room was incredibly dark and all I wanted was a room that was light, bright, and airy but I couldn’t understand why it looked this way and this increased my frustration and disappointment.

Until I came across these apparent reasons why a room will look and feel dark.

Decorating a room in dark colors in terms of wall paint, furniture, flooring, and size might be one of the main reasons why your room is dark. If there is insufficient natural light, this too can make a room appear darker. 

However, a few easy and quick fixes can help make your room appear brighter and meet your level of satisfaction.

Simply by implementing any of the following, you’ll be able to increase brightness and achieve the mood and feeling you actually want that will make you feel pleased again.

Reasons Why Your Room Is Dark

Before we get into the tips on resolving the matter, let’s explore why the room is dark as this can help you pinpoint the exact cause for your room:

Dark Colors

This was the biggest mistake I’ve made when it came to decorating a small room. 

Using dark colors for the furniture, floor, or wall paint can definitely suck out and absorb the light from the space. 

I’ve also noticed that even if you have a lighter color for the walls, your room can still appear dark if the floors and furniture are in a dark shade.

Insufficient Natural Light

Rooms that have an insufficient amount of light (whether that’s natural light from a window or wall lights), can be a huge contribution to a dark room.

When your room has a small window or is closely situated next to another building, this might make it difficult for light to enter the space, contributing to the darkness.

In this bedroom, it’s quite clear that there is a large window reflecting an ample amount of sunlight and when it hits the white objects, the room looks bright, airy, and full of light.

Layout

Another possible reason for a dark room is the layout. If you have large furniture items situated in front of windows and openings, this could be why there is not enough light entering the space.

Strategically repositioning certain elements like dressers, drawers, desks, or objects can open up the possibility for more light to enter and brighten up the room.

No Mirrors

A small detail like a mirror can have an effect that reflects and bounces light back into the room.

If you don’t have a mirror or never thought to use one, this can to an extent affect the amount of light that is reflected into the room.

Ways To Brighten A Dark Room

So now that you have an idea as to why your room may be dark, here are the exact methods you can try to change it and brighten the space.

Paint The Room A Bright Color

The first change you can try making is painting your room in a really light or neutral color scheme.

A preferred color would be white as this can instantly make a room appear bigger and brighter but if you want to use any different color, try sticking with something that has a very light shade as this can be a world of difference to your room.

Lighter and neutral color palettes will help bounce light in the space.

Hang A Chandelier

You can make your room brighter by customizing it in a classy and elegant way by hanging a beautiful chandelier. This way, your room will look way better and it’s a great source of light that will brighten the entire space.

Change The Floors

Dark floors can also be a huge contributing factor to a dark room. If possible, you may try changing the floors if you have dark wooden floors.

Although this can get slightly pricey, it’s worth the investment.

There are cheaper options like using peel and stick tiles over your current flooring that will still give you a lovely finish and will add a boost of light to the space.

You could also consider painting the floors white which will instantly create more light in the room even when paired with darker accent colors.

Use A Large Rug To Cover Dark Floors

You may consider using a large area rug to cover the dark floors. Accent rugs cover a wide range of space and this is a fantastic option if you don’t want to remove your floors.

This can definitely make quite a bit of difference in terms of the brightness in the room especially if you place a large white rug or any light-colored rug on the floor as shown above.

Going for a beautiful and light rug will also add texture and interest that feels and looks pleasurable. It can also be used to highlight and define the space.

Decorate With Light Furniture

Another great tip you could implement is to use light-colored furniture. Dark furniture pieces can have an effect on how bright a room looks.

If you find that it will be too costly to redecorate, you can try painting the furniture you have instead.

When you have so many light elements in the room, you will notice a huge difference in terms of brightness.

Position A Mirror In The Right Spot

The trick with mirrors is to position them on the wall that faces the windows or any spot where light can be reflected back into the room.

If you don’t want to hang or use up wall space, you can always opt for a floor mirror that can be strategically placed close to a window.

This is a neat treat to make your room brighter without using any artificial lights. If you hate turning on the lights during the day, this small hack might work great for you.

Add Plants To Enhance Mood

Plants are a great way to make your look and feel better. They’re known to increase positive and calming feelings to improve and boost your mood.

So, even though your room may be darker than you’d like it to be, having these plants might be a great consolation that will help you enjoy the space a bit more.

Keeps Curtains Open

If possible, try to keep your curtains open to allow as much light to come into the room.

Sometimes, these thick fabrics can block light from entering the room. Draw back the curtains during the day and allow the natural light to filter in.

A better option would be to replace them with blinds and this can be pulled up during the day and it will surely increase the amount of outside light to an extent.

This option may not be for those who are concerned or protective of their privacy. If you have nosy neighbors or you’re afraid of strangers peeking in, consider opting for other light sources.

Use Multiple Sources of Light

Besides natural and window light, try installing a few other sources of light in the room.

This might mean adding table lamps to the nightstands, mounted wall lights, adding a standing lamp to the corner of the room, or using string lights in strategic places to make the room look bright.

I find this method really helpful if you don’t want to change or make adjustments to the entire color scheme of your room.

Add A Pop of Color To The Room

Lastly, consider adding bright, vivid objects and accessories like oversized artwork, wall decorations, or curtains to your room decor. This can instantly give that pop of color to your room making it appear brighter and more alive.

These elements will also be a great improvement to a rather dull, drab, and dark bedroom.

See also: How To Light A Room With No Overhead Lighting: 12 Best Options

Conclusion

Having a dark room isn’t necessarily bad unless you prefer to have a clean, bright, and airy room. 

There is merit in dark rooms that can create a lovely moody and cozy feel but depending on what kind of style and feel you prefer, it’s important to make the changes so you can feel good in this space.

Almost all of these tips and suggestions do in fact work in transforming a dark and dull room but it really does depend on the extent of the level of darkness. 

As long as you focus on incorporating these lighter details and elements into the decor, you will be satisfied with the change from where it ordinarily was at first.

If you found these tips and tricks helpful, do check out the following ideas:

What Causes A Room To Be Stuffy? (Reasons & Solutions)

How Do I Get Fresh Air In My Bedroom? (5 Ideas That Work)

What Do You Do If You Don’t Like Your Room? (11 Brilliant Ideas)