Do you walk into your living room and think you have walked into a Middle Ages dungeon? While a darker interior may, sometimes, feel warm and cozy, you can also get carried away. If you feel that you need to revive your dark and gloomy dungeon look with a little paint, you should survey the room first.
Increase the Natural Stream of Light
One of the reasons rooms appear darker is because they do not receive enough natural light. Maybe the room that is dark lacks windows. If so, you need to make sure that the paint you choose reflects light well and that you change the lighting in the room, as well. Add a light paint color, such as white with a subdued grey tone or light cream (with a soft yellow cast). Doing so will immediately brighten the living space, and you will not have to change your furnishings.
Apply a Semi-Gloss Paint
Make sure the paint you choose features a semi-gloss finish, rather than a matte finish. Again, you want to make sure that the light reflects nicely in the room. You cannot do this with a flat paint. In fact, you may be having a problem because your paint does not convey any type of glossy sheen.
Install Shutters or Blinds
If your room does feature windows, let the light stream in by adding window treatments, such as shutters or blinds. That way, you can control the amount of natural light and make the most of the paint color you choose. The idea is to lighten the room or to make it cheerier.
Add a Subtly Cheery Color
To add more cheer to a gloomy living space, choose a color, such as pale yellow or a very light hue of peach. Doing so will add cheer, but it will do so subtly. Don’t resort to painting the room sunshine yellow, as it may result in “too much cheer.” After all, you want to feel more positive. However, you do not want to create the opposite effect and go overboard with your refurbishment.
Stay in the Middle
Think about how you use the room. If you mainly use the room for watching TV or for reading, you need to make sure you can control the amount of light and add a paint color that is not too distracting. When a paint color is too dark or bright, it can have an unpleasant effect. That is why you want to stay in the middle when selecting paints.
Apply Two Coats of Primer and Paint
Look at the neutral shades that add a bit of cheer, as well as pale and happy looking colors for a darker colored room. Also note, that it is more difficult to go from dark to light. Therefore, you will need to apply more than one coat of primer and more than one coat of a lighter and cheerier paint.
Take Your Time
Both the paint color and lights that you use must be assessed before you make an adjustment. Take time to look at the design of the room and find out where to place the lighting arrangement. Converting a gloomy and dark room into a cheery abode takes some planning and time. Consider the lights, paint colors, and window treatments when making this type of upgrade.
Sam knew there had to be more opportunity in the marketplace, albeit in an industry he already had experience with. So, while working for the lumber company during the week, Sam would start to take on some painting projects on the side during the weekends. This would go on for over a year until the Spring of 2017. It seemed the perfect time to go all in on the painting. He gave his two weeks’ notice and was told, “the door is always open for you here.” That was a nice sentiment, and as it turned out, that lumber company would become one of Painter Pro’s first and largest customers. Sam would continue working closely with the lumber company on their projects and facilities.