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Brighten up a Dark Space

When you walk into a gloomy, lightless space, do you get that icky feeling of "Ooooh—I can't breathe!"? Claustrophobia is the panicky feeling caused by closed-in, dark spaces. The good news is that, if you have an uncomfortable area, I have some tips to make it come alive.

Here are my three easy fixes for a small, dark room:

1) Less Is More

This part is the simplest to achieve—and usually free.

• Tidy up and minimize bulky furnishings.

• Get rid of heavy, fussy window treatments.

• Please clean off surfaces and de-clutter the floor.

2) Make Paint Choices and Choose Colors that Promote Brightness

A few local paint experts were called on to give advice for this column.

Rae Regan of Country Paint and Hardware in North Branford said: "Lighter colors give the appearance of a more open space. You don't necessarily have to use white; spa colors such as Benjamin Moore's Ocean Air, Sea Foam, Wickham Gray, and Revere Pewter give a touch of color. Finish with White Dove or Simply White for the trim. Soft greens are coming back, too; Thornton Sage and Woodland White are some popular choices. Another trick to brighten up a room is to lighten your wall color by 75 percent and apply that to your ceiling instead of the traditional ceiling white."

Andy Scott from The Paint Shop, Inc., on Main Street, Old Saybrook added this advice: "Colors are a reflection of light. Light colors aesthetically increase the size of the room, dark colors reduce the size. Sheen level is important for light reflectiveness. Standard paint finishes are matte, but if you use a pearl or satin finish it will increase the light reflectiveness.

I have asked my painters go one step further and apply high gloss on walls for clients. You should see the look I get from them—professional painters hate to use semi-gloss or high gloss on walls because it shows every little imperfection. Designers love it, though—the high shine adds glamour and depth and when the job is done and the room is spectacular, everyone is happy.

3) Focus on Lighting

...including the bulbs you use.

For decades we have been buying bulbs based on wattage—the energy they consume. Now we have to look at lumens—how much light they produce. The good news is a 1,600-lumen LED bulb (equivalent to a 100 watt bulb) only uses 25 watts and throws off much less heat, saving money and worries about overheating, so you can use more bulbs for a brighter interior.

Another trick is to use large pendant lights, which drop down in simple shapes like globes. They are the modern equivalent to the traditional chandelier. Pendants give much more light than recessed fixtures. You can quickly make a switch with a converter kit that turns recessed fixtures into drop-down pendants for under $20 .

The Next Steps

Now that your space is well lit, let's add the bells and whistles to really expand a dark room.

I think landscape vistas add immense perspective. The

trompe l'oeil effect of murals brings a new dimension into a room—trompe l'oeil, French for "fool the eye," tricks your brain into perceiving a painted scene as a three-dimensional one. MuralsYourWay.com is a website that has a wealth of artistic choices. It offers the advantage of composing your own design or using its library of hundreds of beautiful images. Imagine opening up a room with a huge scene of your favorite vacation spot, with you in it (or not!). These trompe l'oeil images can transport you to a beach, a jungle, or a Tuscan vineyard. Other favorites on the MuralsYourWay.com website include a Times Square's panoramic view down 42nd Street; cool, white, snow-capped mountain views, and murals of clouds.

The choices are endless. I picked a beach scene in a bedroom to show how it can transform a small space.

Large mirrors are a favorite of designers to add visual magic to an area. Try a variety of framed mirrors in different sizes—they look great on a bright painted wall. Double the reflective impact by staging them on a wall opposite a light source for maximum effect.

Having a professional install a wall-to-wall mirror is also an option.

You don't have to stick with the obvious plain clear type. If you want the reflection but you're not looking for a permanent "selfie," choose a darker-tinted version of glass to soften the mirror image. There are a lot of choices for tint—Jockimo Advanced Architectural Products has 27 different mirror finishes. A few of my favorites are Antique, Pin Hole, Dirty Window, Mercury, Oil Slick, Tarnished, and Distressed Silver and Gold.

For big drama with glass, imagine a wall covered in an antique mercury mirror finish and then place a beautiful Venetian framed mirror over the top, mirror on mirror—stunning.

One more hint to bring a dull space alive: Use fresh, green, real plants. Nature does wonders for the soul. Big, bold, tall palm or ficus trees lift your spirits and bring a focal point into the room that encourages you to look up, creating a spacious feeling—and chasing away that claustrophobic feeling.

Jennifer Walker is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Her design/consultation business is located in Stony Creek; for more information call 203-488-6856,  visit HOUZZ.com, or email jennifer.walker@snet.net.