Decorating a north-facing room, or space with few or no windows?
A light-starved room needn’t pose a problem – here’s our advice on choosing the perfect wallpaper for your home and aesthetic…
Infuse your room with light
Maximising the light in your room doesn’t mean that you’re restricted to clinical white emulsion – wallpaper can be a strong choice for making a dark room appear brighter. Wall coverings in soft dusky pastels, such as Faroe in pink, pale blue or sepia, will work wonders in a children’s bedroom or nursery.
It’s worth noting that the light in north-facing rooms can be a little cooler, so choosing warm-toned wallcoverings can rebalance this. A wallpaper like Martinique in sunny yellow, with its light warm palette and gentle pearlescent finish, will maximise how much natural and artificial light reflects around the space.
Likewise, a light-toned wallpaper with a subtle print, like Nevis in white/grey or Montserrat in black/white would perfectly suit a living space.
Other suggestions to maximise the light flow in your room include:
- White or light colours on the ceiling and for the woodwork
- Streamlined window dressings to avoid obstructing any natural daylight
- Large mirrors to bounce the light around
- Pale flooring – we love painted floorboards
- Low-slung furniture
Embrace the atmosphere
Instead of fighting against the lack of light, why not go with it?
Adding darker, richer colours to low-lit rooms can accentuate the space and create something really interesting. Darker colours absorb light, which makes walls appear closer and the room feel more intimate and cocooning.
If you’re looking to create drama and sophistication in an occasionally-used room, such as a formal dining room or living room, then the rich and vivid tones and larger scale pattern of Pearl River in black or Bahama in wine would work beautifully.
Or, for a cosy and relaxing feel in a bedroom, snug, or study, opt for the woven linen texture of Lucia in black/gold.
Checklist...
- Consider your lifestyle and how you use the space
If you’re mainly going to be using the room in the evening, with low lighting, then darker wallpaper can add atmosphere.
- Think about the light you’re working with
The light in north-facing rooms typically brings out the cooler tones of a colour, so be aware that anything with green, blue or grey base will appear even stronger.
No matter how much natural light you have, your home can be packed full of style and character when you opt for wallpaper.
We hope our article has given you some inspiration for wallpaper for your low-light space but if you’d like some more advice then please email us and we’ll be happy to help – Enquiries@elizabethockford.com
