Wallpaper for a dark room. Given: dark room. How to make it lighter? small dark room design

Do you have a dark room that receives very little daylight? If you are not planning to move, then something needs to be done about it. A gloomy interior is depressing, especially in autumn, when it is not difficult to fall into a depressive state or mood. Therefore, the owners of apartments and rooms still have a question: how to make a dark room lighter? We will suggest a few design tricks that will optically help make the interior lighter.

Did you know that not only the location of the room in relation to the cardinal points, the size and number of windows affect the lighting? It is also influenced by the colors of the floor, furniture and walls, window decorations and other materials used in the interior. If everything is designed in dark colors, then such a room will seem even darker than it actually is. A bright room looks much more spacious and larger.



How do you brighten up a dark room if you don't have the desire or the budget to replace the furniture? To do this, use less capital-intensive, but no less effective tricks. Start by identifying the darkest areas in the room - highlight the most shaded walls and corners that should make a difference. Consider which of these elements can be upgraded relatively inexpensively.

Repaint the walls or change the wallpaper. It is not necessary to change the wallpaper in the entire room, you can replace them only on one or two walls. Keeping in mind the principle that an interior that is not cluttered seems lighter, should you consider getting rid of some not-so-useful furniture? If you take out a bulky tall wardrobe or furniture wall, or at least part of it, from the room, then such a room will instantly become lighter and more spacious.

If a renovation is planned:

  • remove dark material floors or repaint the wood floor in light, pastel colors;
  • replace a dark carpet with patterns or a pattern with a smooth and light one;
  • replace solid-leaf doors with glazed or sliding ones;
  • paint window frames and window sills white;
  • cycle the darkened floor and cover it with a transparent varnish;
  • if you plan to change the floor, think about where you can put light polished tiles that reflect light well and “illuminate” the interior;
  • replace old, dark ceramic tiles in the bathroom and kitchen, or paint with a special paint for light-colored tiles.

If you plan to paint a different wall color, then you should choose the appropriate paint to decorate and brighten the interior.


Of course, the lighter it is, the better. You don't like white walls? Don't worry, a good effect can be achieved with other light and bleached shades as well.

In a shaded room with one window, it might work well to use three shades of the same color. In the darkest of them, you should paint the wall around the window, and place the lightest shade on the wall opposite the window. We paint the side walls in the third intermediate shade. This way the distribution of paint and shadows in the room enhances the daylight that penetrates inside.

You will get a brightening effect by choosing transparent paints, to which particles of gold, silver or pearls are added. A wall painted with this paint reflects more light.

Well-planned lighting has a huge impact on our mood. In addition, the interior looks better if it is bathed in sunlight. When there is not enough sun in the apartment, it is necessary to choose the right artificial lighting. To make a dark room brighter, you need to provide light that is as close to natural as possible. When planning lighting in a dark room, you can use the following solutions:

  • In addition to central lighting, it is also worth installing spotlights, this is especially important in those areas of the apartment where it is darkest - in the bathroom and corridor.
  • Point lighting in the kitchen will also be useful, especially when it does not have a window or the window is too small.
  • If there is a desire to paint the ceiling in a darker color, then in a dark room this is not the best idea. But if you take care of good lighting on the ceiling, then you can think about such an idea. This can be halogen spot lighting or LEDs, preferably dimmable.
  • In the bedroom, additional lighting should be installed near the bed - in the case of a double bed - always on both sides. In the living room in the darkest corner is to put a floor lamp.
  • Spotlights can also give good results, highlighting selected decorative elements - paintings, figurines and other decorations.

Interior design: soft and light furniture

In a dark room, large pieces of furniture with gloomy upholstery greatly overload the interior. To make such a room brighter, it is better to choose light furniture and not bulky. It is better to replace a large furniture wall with a chest of drawers that stands on legs, this will immediately make it visually lighter, since tearing the furniture off the floor adds lightness to it. If the seats on the chairs have dark upholstery, it is worth sewing covers for them from light fabric. The sofa can be covered with a light bedspread.



Light floors and light doors are ideal in dark rooms. This solution is for people who love to clean and clean. Unfortunately, such a floor gets dirty much faster than a regular floor, so with a large number of family members, this is an impractical solution.

If you're thinking about buying a rug and your sofa or chairs are upholstered with a pattern, it's best to choose a rug that's smooth and solid. However, in the opposite situation, you can choose a carpet (or carpet) with a pattern, but not too colorful and bright.


In a dark interior, you should not choose solid doors, but it is better to put folding or sliding doors. Definitely better glass doors or partially glazed, which allows light to penetrate between rooms.

Mirrors help shape and illuminate the space. It is better to choose the location of the mirrors on the same plane, preferably a large one. The mirror should hang on the wall opposite the window. A large mirror that shows a full-length silhouette of a person should also hang in the corridor - the darkest room in the apartment.



The frame of the mirror should decorate the interior and should be light, not bulky. If you don’t like looking in mirrors while wandering around the apartment, then you can use a lot of mirrors in the bookcase, behind the shelves, and place objects made of transparent glass on the shelves.
With the help of mirrors, you can also disguise the doors of a massive cabinet. You can buy a large mirror or stick a mirror film on the doors.


Dark curtains with patterned patterns and romantic frills are not suitable for dark rooms. It is better to open the windows as much as possible - let the daylight enter the apartment without obstacles.

However, if you do not like empty windows, you should think about soft white curtains, the best of translucent tulle. If you need to close windows in the evening from prying eyes, you should choose blinds in neutral, light colors.

Another important point - try to leave the window sills empty. And if you want to put something for them - let it be objects made of transparent glass that will let the sun's rays through.

In all dark rooms, it is better to create interiors with light-colored furniture, preferably with glossy, lacquered surfaces that reflect light.



In a dark kitchen, if you have dark cabinets and floors, then you should take care of light additional elements. Paint the walls in a light color, the tiles should also be chosen in light colors, preferably with a glossy sheen, backlit skinals are a good option.

If the apartment is not cluttered, not overloaded with knick-knacks, it always seems much lighter and more spacious. Therefore, it is worth removing all colorful, flashy decorations - not only from the window sills, but throughout the apartment. All the trinkets dear to the heart can be installed in the closet and flaunt at least only a third of it.


Owning an apartment is the dream of many young families. Imagination draws a beautiful interior design, cozy rooms, a kitchen furnished with the latest technology. But often the reality is not so rosy.


Often, the apartment consists of one room, which is also dark. How to arrange interior design in this case, to create a cozy atmosphere and at the same time, fill the room with light? There are some design tricks to add light to a room and create a sense of space.


An important role in creating a bright room is played by the choice of wall color. In a small room where there is a lack of light, the background should be light. Walls can be painted with a water-based emulsion, covered with decorative plaster or covered with wallpaper. But so that the room does not look boring, what can be done? It is recommended to use a few bright details.


It can be picturesque objects, original lamps. To create a highlight, part of one wall can be decorated in a dark shade. Such a move will create volume in the room.


The design of the dark room in the apartment in the photo should include as many light details as possible. So, the floor can be decorated in white. This will create a feeling of light and spaciousness in a small room. Of course, a white floor cannot be called a good solution. You can replace the coloring of the floor with white paint by laying laminate or linoleum in light shades. An effective addition to the design of a dark room in an apartment will be the purchase of a parquet board made of light wood species.


What else can be done so that the dark room in the apartment in the photo does not seem gloomy? Designers recommend focusing on the design of the window. The best choice is long curtains to the floor, which will repeat the design of the walls in color. In this case, window textiles and walls will merge, which will give the room a feeling of spaciousness.


How to equip a dark room in an apartment? It is recommended to choose furniture with thin legs. Ideally, if the lower part of the furniture is open. To create the illusion of light, it is recommended to place a large mirror opposite the window opening. Reflected in the mirror surface, the sun's rays will fill the room with the necessary amount of natural light.


One of the common problems that designers call is the incorrect placement of light sources in a dark room. To create a sense of light, do not use central lighting. It is better to place several sconces around the perimeter, which will illuminate the room from different points. This will create the illusion of light and space.

To all participants of the Design Museum - who knows how to create a cozy atmosphere in dark rooms? Let's look at ten small tips. For various reasons, the room is dark - these are tall trees under the windows, and the north side, or maybe a design feature.


Living in such a house is not practical and not comfortable. All the details of auxiliary artificial lighting should be considered. We carefully consider the design of the walls, because in this way you can visually reduce or enlarge the room.

1. Walk around the house - what makes your rooms dark and cluttered?

Walk around the apartment, look from the side of the guest - what do you think is superfluous? In creating individuality, every detail is important - this is both conveniently arranged furniture and well-chosen wallpapers.

To make the room brighter and more spacious, you may need to remove a huge closet that takes up a lot of space. You can hang a large mirror, it contributes to the feeling of spaciousness. We will decorate the windows with light and airy curtains.

2. Furniture colors

The mood of the room directly depends on the coloring of the furniture. Products of dark tones are solid and monumental, they can be absolutely out of place in a small room. Light shades, on the contrary, will give the room a cheerful and cheerful look.

Sophisticated headsets, lacquered in bright white, create a sense of aristocracy. Natural wood furnishings are always relevant. The color combination must be observed.

If the walls are traditionally white, the furniture can be almost anything: red, red-brown, dark yellow, orange - to your taste.

3. Paint the ceiling

There are no problems with high ceilings: we make them of different configurations and any color. For example, blue will increase space, remind you of the sky. Suspended - create the illusion of a starry night.

Modern tension can be of various colors, with patterns or plain. It must be remembered that if in one room the ceiling is colored, then in others we add paint.

Compatibility and connectivity should be in all rooms. But if you have low and rough ceilings in your house, only white colors will do, which will not visually reduce and put pressure on top.

4. Choosing the right furniture for the kitchen

First you need to think carefully and plan where and what will stand. Separate the area for cooking and dining. I want to visually enlarge a small kitchen.

Light pastel colors are suitable for decorating the walls. Do not clutter up the area with dark and massive furniture. Modern kitchen sets, with facades of various shades, are perfect for any kitchen. Corner cabinets and tables will increase the usable area.

5. Kitchen lighting is the main aspect of comfort

With the right lighting, even small-sized kitchens turn out to be very cozy and comfortable. Small fixtures that can be placed under cabinets are convenient for work surfaces.

Above the dining table, it is important to hang a height-adjustable chandelier. It is advisable to use a bright overhead light that does not create harsh shadows.

6. Cozy dark bedroom

Flip through magazines, look at photos of bedrooms with a dark texture, read the recommendations of famous designers. Perhaps you want to make a bewitching dark bedroom.

Do not be afraid of dark wallpapers, you can get a stunning effect with them. In fact, there are many surprising benefits to choosing such materials.

The combination of pattern, texture with deep color creates a very comfortable atmosphere, conducive to relaxation. This combination provides an amazing backdrop for various pieces of furniture, fabrics and decorative elements.

7. Balance dark wallpaper and textiles

Your bedroom is yours alone. Here you do not have to receive and accommodate guests, the sleeping area is just for you! Therefore, it is necessary to strike a balance in your individual style.

Use light colored linens. It will beautifully create a contrast with dark walls. And the snow-white bed linen, with colored edging, looks just amazing!

Light colors of pillows, duvet covers and bedspreads will become the central point of the decor of the room, as if attracting the eye. Colored prints will look attractive on underwear. To match the glamorous style, you can purchase a white or silver bed.

On the floor, a Scottish-style carpet looks interesting. The cage will give simplicity and at the same time push the space apart. Lighted candles will create romance.

A fragrant sachet in the form of rollers and pillows will help reduce excitability, stabilize a sense of peace of mind and immerse you in a sweet dream.

The main thing - do not overdo it with accessories. Many small objects scatter the view, create the impression of clutter.

8. Lighting a dark bedroom

So that a room with dark wallpapers does not turn out to be too closed, we make floors from light woods, linoleum or cover them with bright carpets, enlivening with color elements.

The main role in creating comfort is played by daylight and artificial lighting. We choose curtains for the windows from transparent and light fabrics in pastel colors, we select silk curtains for them.

By hanging a sconce near the bed, you will balance the light in the room - this is the final touch. The lamp shade can be made in both dark and light colors.

9. Dressing room

Having a room larger than an old and uncomfortable closet will save you from the daily shifting of things from shelf to shelf in search of what you need. Remove the bulky drawer - this will expand the living space and thereby increase the comfort of housing.

To do this, it is not necessary to allocate a separate room, you can simply fence off part of the room with sliding doors. Depending on the number of family members and their clothes, we determine the required area.

The owners of large apartments have advantages - they can equip a full-fledged, real dressing room, with mirrors, where you can go in and choose an outfit or change clothes.

Pay special attention to the ventilation of the room, otherwise dampness and moisture will spoil not only your belongings, but also the walls with furniture. Fresh air access must be the same as in all other rooms.

Natural light, if present, should be limited to blackout curtains because clothes will fade quickly. Artificial lighting should be bright enough to allow you to look at yourself in the mirror and see things in the most remote corners.

10. Convenient zoning

The minimum area of ​​​​the dressing room should be about 4 square meters. m., with a depth of at least 1.5 meters, so that it is easy to move around. All dressing rooms, large or small, are equipped with shelving, drawers, which are equipped with light guides. It is important to fill the entire space from floor to ceiling.

Well-placed shelves and hangers are a guarantee of convenience for all family members. When planning a dressing room, delimit the storage areas, taking into account the quantity, seasonality and need - this will help you navigate the size and height of the hangers. At the same time, consider the purpose of things - for daily wear, adult or children's clothing.

Use special furniture lifts that are designed to move boxes from bottom to top and vice versa. In the inactive zone - these are places below 50 cm and above 2 m - rarely worn items are added.

In the dressing room you can store various household attributes - iron, ironing table, vacuum cleaner.

Modern wallpapers are so diverse that anyone can choose a decent option for their home. There are a huge number of different colors, including most of the colors available, many beautiful drawings and photographs. A well-chosen color and pattern on the wallpaper can help eliminate the shortcomings of the room and highlight the advantages.

Today we want to talk about what wallpaper options you can choose for a small, dark room to make it comfortable and cozy, and not lifelessly gloomy.

Floral theme in the interior of a tiny room

Design difficulties

In our apartments and houses there are different rooms: wide and narrow, light and dark. For large and bright rooms, it is quite easy to come up with and implement any interior, but in a dark, small room everything is much more difficult.

Why such premises are found is easy to explain, the following factors are to blame:

  • Depending on the location of the house, many rooms in the apartments are poorly lit. There are also places where there is very little natural light.
  • In densely built-up residential areas, situations often arise when one house closes access to sunlight to another. On the lower floors of the house, trees can also block the light.
  • Illumination may be disturbed after repair work associated with the redevelopment of the premises.

However, the situation can be corrected if you choose the right wallpaper, they can help increase the illumination of the room and, possibly, its visual perception. Thus, from a dark and small room, you can get a completely habitable bright room.

It is clear that you will have to work with the lighting in such a room, increase the number of lighting fixtures, and distribute them successfully into zones. But lighting partly solves the problem, you won’t always keep it on. Therefore, it is worth considering the possibility of pasting wallpaper in light colors, a pastel palette is also suitable. If you want to bring some color into the room, you can pick up accent wallpaper and place it in the brightest part of the room.


One of the rooms in a multi-room apartment

It is not necessary to achieve strong contrast in a small room, it does not contribute to an increase in illumination, however, it is permissible to use more than one color, but several. A successful combination of colorful and calm shades allows you to get the illusion of a bright space.

Plain wallpaper is perfect for such a room, you can consider what options wallpaper stores offer us and choose. It is advisable to stay on pastel colors. It is also acceptable to use a small drawing and a small relief, they will not spoil the overall picture, but will add originality.

It is strongly not recommended to use a large ornament on the wallpaper for a small, poorly lit room. Since such a pattern will negatively affect the perception of the room as a whole, it will give the impression that it is smaller and darker than it actually is.

Another design technique will allow you to transform the room by increasing its illumination: stick light wallpaper with a small, discreet pattern on the wall opposite the window, and cover the rest of the walls with canvases in the same tone, but a little darker. Thus, you will achieve an original perception of space, it will seem to you that the light expands the room, reflecting from one of the walls. In reality, this will happen, which means that in this way we will immediately get two very light walls in the room.

Striped wallpapers will help to work with the geometry of the room. Depending on the direction of the strips, they can increase the height of the ceiling or lengthen the walls. A strip of medium thickness works well, while any color can be used: bright colors will make the interior more lively, restrained more strict.


Expansion of the room through the use of light wallpaper

Colors and their combinations

To lighten the space of a small and dark room, you can use several colors. A couple of light ones and one bright one will be enough to make a balanced interior, and to put a little emphasis on important places in the room.

If you apply a larger number of bright colors, the room may turn out to be too blurry, saturated. Of course, outwardly it will look more lively, light and even bright, but it will be difficult to stay in it for a long time. Do not forget that the use of contrasting combinations in such a room is also inappropriate.

Wallpaper for a dark and small room should work with all its texture for lightening, so options should be considered with a glossy finish. Very good, if not, then they can always be added to liquid wallpaper or paintable options. Reflective elements are very easy to mix into the prepared mixture of liquid wallpaper. After applying it to the walls, the sparkles will be located on them in a chaotic manner. By adding similar elements to the paint for painting walls or wallpaper, you can also achieve a similar result.

When choosing glossy wallpapers, we know for sure that matte wall paintings are not suitable for our room, since they contribute to the absorption of light, and not its reflection.


Comfortable and warm atmosphere in the bedroom

Do not forget about the side of the world, which the windows of your room face. In our situation, most likely it will be the north side, which means that they are perfect for us:

  • yellow colors, sunny and cheerful;
  • beige tones, soft, light and at the same time very warm;
  • various variations of orange, gold colors.

White and its shades will not be appropriate here. In low light, they will look gray, nondescript and dreary, and we do not need depressive moods at home.

You can use the original move when choosing wallpaper in the store. Just ask for your favorite wallpaper rolls to try on, and in the immediate conditions of the room, see how they will look on the wall on a typical day in natural light and artificial light. If this type of wall suits you, buy them, otherwise keep looking for the right color.

The psychology of color

Understanding the psychology of color will make it even easier for you to choose wallpaper for a room with small dimensions and poor lighting. As you probably know, psychologists have long identified the effect of different colors on people.

An approximate list of primary colors and their influence is as follows:

  • One of the positive colors that can improve mood is peach. It is quite soft and light, but at the same time slightly assertive. It is used in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens.
  • To accumulate vital energy in a room, a yellow color palette is often used. Such wallpaper colors remind us of summer, relaxation and fun, which means it brings joy and pleasant emotions. Yellow is a bright enough color, so it will be in place in the living room, kitchen or bathroom.

Cozy small living room
  • Orange has similar properties, wallpaper in this color energizes, increases brain activity and awakens appetite. Toning the body, orange predisposes to action. Wallpaper in this tone is appropriate in the kitchen, in the living room.
  • The luxurious golden tone is used as accents; it cannot be the main one due to its high impulsiveness and saturation. With it, you can add brightness, solemnity and nobility to the room. Wallpapers with drawings of this color fit perfectly into the classic interior of living rooms.
  • A calm, comfortable, warm and cozy atmosphere in the room will help create the colors of the beige palette. This relaxed tone promotes rest and relaxation, which means that the main place of its application is the bedroom.
  • In combination with beige, a brown tone is often used, as it were, it stabilizes the interior. looks the most advantageous, it brings comfort to the house, and with its internal energy it helps to relieve stress.
  • Pink is considered to be a characteristic romantic color. In its bright performance, it soothes, brings tenderness, while in its bright and rich performance it excites passion. It is customary to use a similar color scheme in bedrooms, bathrooms, children's rooms.
  • Red tones have always been associated with the holiday, they bring joy and fun. Most often, red is used in large living rooms, where it is necessary to achieve a solemn atmosphere in the interior. In the kitchen, it is also appropriate, because it helps to awaken the appetite.

Bedroom design in an apartment on the upper floors of a multi-storey building
  • Even in a small and dark room, you can consider using purple-colored wallpaper. Despite the fact that it belongs to the galaxy of dark tones, it also contributes to the expansion of visual space. If you successfully combine it with a light tone, you can expand the space and brighten it.
  • Blue tones are also designed to expand the space, they can be used in both large and small rooms. They add freshness, lightness, reduce human fatigue and emotional stress. Wallpaper in blue is most often used in bedrooms, living rooms, children's rooms.
  • The blue tone, on the contrary, narrows and reduces the space, it is a cold and deep color that acts extremely calmingly. Wallpaper in this color is applicable in large rooms where there is very good natural and artificial lighting.
  • Natural green colors promote relaxation and rapid recovery of the body. Depending on their saturation, such tones can be used in rooms of any size. Wallpaper with green colors is actively used in children's rooms, living rooms, and kitchens.

Summarizing all of the above, it is worth noting that when choosing wallpaper for a small, poorly lit room, it is important to pay attention not only to the color of the paintings, but also to the size of their pattern, the glossiness of the texture and the presence of relief on it. Do not forget about the side of the world, which the windows overlook from the room. If you take into account all these factors, and besides, you take wallpaper from the store for fitting, the probability of error will be minimal.

Undoubtedly, a dark room has many advantages: the eyes rest from the bright light hitting the eyes, and the twilight relaxes the nervous system, and in such a room a person falls asleep 20% faster. However, a dark room, in its permanence, makes an apartment uncomfortable and significantly reduces the cost of an apartment upon purchase. A dark room is especially dangerous for rooms - offices, nurseries and libraries. Therefore, many people ask an important question - how to make a dark room brighter?

- Bright hues.

You can brighten up a room with light colors in the design of the room. A dark room, of course, can be made absolutely white, but it is better to use pastel colors: beige, cream and light lemon. If sunlight does not enter the windows of the room, then the white color of the walls will appear dirty gray.

But it is desirable to make the ceiling in the room perfectly white, even mirror white, so that the light color of the walls is reflected in the ceiling and brightens the room.

It is also best to lay a light-colored flooring on the floor, but you can also throw a bright yellow carpet so that there is a bright spot against the background of light walls and enlivens the room.

- Curtains.

For daylight, the choice should stop at transparent curtains, but the question arises of night curtains. They should be chosen light, but from the most dense material that will not let in the light of night lights and signs.

If the room is very small, then preference should be given to white curtains, but if the room is spacious, but dark because of the trees outside the window, then you need to hang yellow curtains, they will give the impression of bright sunlight.

And as an extreme case, you can make a window without curtains in the interior, this is also welcome, so as not to clutter up the daylight with objects.

- Furniture.

The first thing to know is no large furniture. Secondly, it is advisable to pay attention to glass furniture or small interior items with polished or mirrored facades. A few small pieces of furniture are better than a huge “wall” or “slide” that weighs down the room.

- Mirrors.

Any decorative mirrors for the interior should be selected according to the principle of better less than a few pieces. A pair of mirrors should be arranged in such an order that they multiply the light as best as possible, it would be great if a chandelier looked in the mirror.

- Partitions.

If the room has partitions and they are not load-bearing walls - down with them! Due to the absence of partitions, the room will acquire additional natural light and will visually appear larger and brighter.

- Blue accent.

A small accent of blue or turquoise will add light to the room, but there is a small rule here - do not overdo it.

Otherwise, with an excess of this color, we will achieve a completely different effect - a visual reduction of the room and even “coldness”. But a small accent of blue with the addition of yellow things will create the appearance of the sky with the sun and “warm up” the room.