Boring Living Area?

by Lisa Strahan
(Odessa, TX)

Help! I have picture paneling in my living area with, medium brown hardwood flooring, and my furniture is brown with black end tables and accents. But, it looks so boring, dark, and depressing. I have no windows in my room so that just makes it even more depressing and gloomy. I want to paint my walls so it will brighten it up.

My pillows on the sofa are purple, green, tan, and red circles. So, are two of my pictures on the wall and then some black accents hanging on the wall. My floor rug has light green, red, tan, black, and mainly an off white/cream in the background. Please help! I'm stuck.

Giorgina's Answer: Painting your room is the easiest and most economical way to instantly transform it into an inviting space. Try to stick with lighter colors, such as off white and beige tones to brighten up the space. Lighter colors will also help make the space appear larger and more cheerful, along with hanging a mirror on the wall.

Also, since your furniture pieces are dark, you may wish to consider purchasing slipcovers that are lighter in color, such as, for instance, white with navy blue strips to give the room a fresh and bright look. As for sofa pillows, you may cover your existing pillows in a lighter fabric or use the ones you have depending on what slipcovers you settle on. As for the area rug and accents, consider a rug that is lighter in color as well as accessories that are colorful. The idea is to try to stay away from dark colors because your room doesn’t have any windows and the lighter color choices will help make up for the lack of light.