How To Brighten Up A Dark North-Facing Room: Colourful Decor Tips

Brilliant white in a north-facing room looks grey, which is why the standard advice to "paint it white" so often makes things worse.

The fix is warmer paint, more light sources at low level and a few strong colour accents. Not one big overhead bulb.

Honest note: we make cards, pin badges, prints and party decorations. LEGO sets, lamps and paint are recommendations from elsewhere.

Shop the cards that go with these

Shop prints Get well soon cards New home cards Pin badges

Prints for the wall, designed and printed by us

Bright quote and motivational prints, printed in the UK - one big print lifts a dark wall.

Let It Be by The Beatles music lyric print featuring a grand piano illustration on a white background, unframed. "Let It Be" By The Beatles Inspired Music Lyrics Print (Piano) £8.00 "Let It Be" Beatles lyric print featuring a guitar illustration and song lyrics, displayed as unframed wall art. "Let It Be" By The Beatles Inspired Music Lyrics Print (Guitar) £8.00 Everybody In The Kitchen Getting Tipsy (A5 - A3) Everybody In The Kitchen Getting Tipsy (A5 - A3) £8.00 Hip Hop Don't Stop Poster (A5 - A3) Hip Hop Don't Stop Poster (A5 - A3) £8.00 Graphic music lyric print featuring a giant open mouth and lyrics from Lola Young's song Messy. Cause I'm Too Messy And Then I'm Too Fucking Clean (Music Lyric Prints) £8.00 A colourful typographic wall print with the words There's Only Room For One Dickhead In This House And That's Me. There's Only Room For One Dickhead Wall Print (A5 - A3) £6.00

Shop prints

Paint that works in cold light

  • Warm off-whites with a yellow or red base rather than brilliant white, which reads grey in north light.
  • Going darker often works better than going lighter - a deep green or navy turns a gloomy room into a deliberate one.
  • Paint the ceiling the same colour as the walls to stop a hard grey line at the top.
  • Test patches on every wall and look at them at 4pm, not at noon.
  • Gloss and eggshell bounce more light than matt on woodwork.

Lighting, done in layers

  • Three light sources minimum: overhead, a floor or table lamp, and something at low level.
  • Warm bulbs around 2700K everywhere. Cool white makes north light worse.
  • A floor lamp aimed at the ceiling lifts the whole room.
  • Lamps in the corners, which are the darkest part of any room.
  • Dimmable bulbs so the room works in the day and the evening.

Colour accents that lift the gloom

  • Yellow is the obvious one, and it works: cushions, a throw, a print, or a buildable sunflower bouquet on a shelf.
  • Warm terracotta, mustard and rust hold up in cold light where pastels go flat.
  • One large print rather than several small ones on a dark wall.
  • Brass or gold picture frames and handles, which catch what light there is.
  • Something living or green - but pick a low-light plant or a model one, because north rooms kill most houseplants.

Windows and mirrors

  • Hang curtain poles wider than the window so the curtains never cover glass when open.
  • Cafe blinds or sheer panels instead of nets, which eat light.
  • A mirror on the wall facing the window, not opposite a wall.
  • Clean the glass and cut back anything growing outside - free, and it makes a real difference.
  • Keep the sill clear rather than lined with objects.
  • Hanging prints without damage - Read the guide

Shop prints

Found your words? Now find the card

Shop prints Get well soon cards New home cards Pin badges

How to write it so it lands

  • Warm off-white, never brilliant white.
  • Three light sources, all 2700K.
  • Mirror facing the window, not a wall.

You might also be interested in...

We make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in house. These are from other shops we rate, and buying through the link costs you nothing extra.

LEGO Botanicals Sunflower Bouquet product photo

LEGO Botanicals Sunflower Bouquet

View LEGO Botanicals Sunflower Bouquet

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

How do you brighten a north-facing room?

Use a warm off-white rather than brilliant white, add three layers of warm lighting including a floor lamp aimed at the ceiling, hang a mirror facing the window and add warm colour accents.

What colour should you paint a dark north-facing room?

A warm off-white with a yellow or red base, or go the other way and use a deep green or navy. Brilliant white reads grey in north light and usually makes the room worse.

What bulbs are best for a dark room?

Warm white around 2700K, dimmable, in at least three separate fittings. Cool white bulbs exaggerate the coldness of north-facing light.

Do mirrors really help a dark room?

Only if they face a window. A mirror opposite a blank wall just reflects the blank wall back.

What plants survive in a north-facing room?

Snake plants, pothos, ferns and ZZ plants cope best. If it's very dark, a model or buildable plant saves you replacing a real one every six months.

Do you sell LEGO sets or real flowers?

No. We design and print greetings cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. LEGO Botanicals and flowers are recommendations from elsewhere - the only things linked to our own shop are ours.

Back to blog