Looking for suggestions to brighten up living room..

Megan
by Megan
With all of the wood trim and wood ceiling, room does not get a lot of light. Any advice? Also, any wall paint color advice? Thank you
  14 answers
  • Holly Kinchlea-Brown Holly Kinchlea-Brown on Jan 30, 2018

    Other than the colour you’ve already got going on, you could choose a very pale grey colour (pick one of the lighter ones out of the stone)...you could also brighten the space by adding a few wall sconces or picture lights with led bulbs

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Jan 30, 2018

    you can pain t the fireplace and mantel, white wash the wood ceiling,Paint the room a brighter color or accent a wall in a different color

  • Sandandshells Sandandshells on Jan 30, 2018

    I am not a decorator by any means and have asked advice here many times, but I would update the ceiling fan and replace that one picture on the wall above the couch with maybe a set of 4 smaller ones. Not sure that would work, as I don't know how far the side wall on the right of the photo goes. As far as paint colour - I am not the one to ask here - clueless. The door frame could, perhaps be updated also. I love the fireplace and would leave it as it is.

    I would love to see how it looks if the couch came off the wall and a more cosier seating area was created. But, as I said earlier, I am not a decorator by any means. Look at magazines and some of the DYI ideas here and you will figure it out. Good luck Megan


  • Cynthia Cynthia on Jan 30, 2018

    I think the wood ceiling is a major contributor to the dark feeling of this room. I would certainly paint it. I think installing pot lights in that ceiling would also be a huge improvement. It appears you currently have a huge plant at the window, blocking that natural light.I can't see your upholstery choices, or flooring, so recommending a paint choice isn't possible, but regardless of color I'd keep it light- Good luck!

  • Melissa Melissa on Jan 31, 2018

    I have a very similar room. We had an electrician put ic rated recessed lighting (in contact rated). We had most of our house done, so I don't remember the cost for just that room. I think it was $1000. It was worth every penny. I took these pictures at night.

  • Jamie Jamie on Jan 31, 2018

    You can always think of sky lights, they have new ones that are round and small, but let in a lot of light. With your ceiling it would not be a hard install. They are about 6" in diameter and use mirrors to direct the light to your room. I was very surprised how much light when we installed the first one in our customers house. I wouldn't paint the ceiling, I agree you need more lighting. Ceiling fan for that big of a room is just not enough and I would replace it with a light color one. Like other suggestions moving plant from window will help a little. Even your entertainment center is dark. Maybe mount your tv on the wall and get a lighter color or glass entertainment center. The shelves on the walls are even dark. They could be white washed to be made lighter. Even your fireplace mantle is dark. What you have on the mantle kind of blends into the background. You need to pick a brighter color and put that up there. I am not a decorator but I am telling you what I see just looking at your pictures. I am a contractor and do have to help customers with some decorating. I hope you get some more good ideas and can brighten up your home, lighting first. Good luck JR

  • Mogie Mogie on Jan 31, 2018

    Skylights or solatubes. Mirrors to reflect light, lighten the color on the ceiling. More efficient lighting. We put one small solatube in our bathroom. Amazing how much more light it added (the bathroom had no windows). Make sure you don't block the windows you do have.

  • Yve21189321 Yve21189321 on Jan 31, 2018

    Hello!

    I would suggest:

    1. Have the TV wall -mounted if possible

    2. stagger those floating shelves on either side of TV ( you now have a secondary focal point)

    3. paint - behr Japanese Koi 210-7 or Pinik seal salt M190-7 to off set the dark furniture pieces.

    4. if the plant is plastic just get rid of it

    5. add two slim floor lamps on opposite wall to TV


    IF looking for an absolute change, I would swap out the furniture for rattan or lighter wood and go with a colonial look :)

  • Joanne Layton Woods Joanne Layton Woods on Jan 31, 2018

    Your ceiling is beautiful! Even if you paint it.... adding lighting will improve the whole space. proper lighting a foundation for a great design.


  • Sandy Sandy on Jan 31, 2018

    You could paint the ceiling or put in some sky lights.

  • Emily Emily on Jan 31, 2018

    Your ceiling is a downer and I mean literally. The dark color is pulling it down around your head. It will be just as beautiful painted a light color and then the walls could be painted a color that you like but that is then darker than the ceiling color. You don't ask any decor advice but the small shelves with photographs are small for such a large wall. You want to notice the t.v. and do have a very nice seating arrangement for that. I would re-think family photographs for the l.r., if they are serious photographs, esp on the walls. On tables and such would be fine.

  • Not a decorator either BUT I do watch a lot of decorating shows and yes a dark ceiling is definitely breathing down your neck! Dark colors close in , lighter colors move out or expand a space, however the thought of painting that seems daunting! I would suggest a whitewash, it would lighten it and still show the wood and I'd think it would be less work as you aren't aiming for total coverage. On the fireplace wall, remove the plant and paint those walls adjacent to it a rich gray to match the fireplace....I would make that the focal point not the TV! Two small shelving units under the windows for display or baskets. The 3 others walls a lighter shade of gray and with it being such a large room your small photos and accents are not showing their best! A gallery wall display opposite the fireplace would solve that, search that term for inspiration on how to hang them. It's a beautiful, grand room it just needs a few tweaks.

  • Sharon Sharon on Feb 03, 2018

    Since the ceiling is off-center, I think I would white wash it to make it more or less disappear into your white walls.

    The other thing is the room lacks a punch of color, either a painted focal wall or a large wall tapesty with some bright colors.

    I agree the ceiling fan is very dated, I would at least get a more modern looking light kit to replace the current one. https://www.amazon.com/Progress-Lighting-P2645-77-2-Light-Forged/dp/B001KLVLSS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1517635377&sr=8-6&keywords=ceiling+fan+single+light+kits+universal

    I would remove all those tiny shelves, and get some nice frames and colorful mats for the pictures and do an arrangement to both add symmetry and color to the wall. You could also mount the TV on the wall and add an LED light kit behind it for some color.... https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=how%20to%20add%20an%20LED%20light%20kit%20behind%20wall%20mounted%20TV&rs=typed&term_meta[]=how%20to%20add%20an%20LED%20light%20kit%20behind%20wall%20mounted%20TV%7Ctyped

  • M. M.. M. M.. on Feb 03, 2018

    Perhaps laying some flat rope lights (so they wouldn't be very visible) on the horizontal part of your archway to light that up a bit would be nice?