Paint for dark room? Help me dissuade dh from white!

[Misty9]

Our playroom is in what used to be the dining room and is now open to the kitchen extension across the back of the house. So no natural light from Windows and a tendency to be a bit gloomy.

What colour would you paint it? I want something fun and bright but there's not much wall space to play with as one end is open and the other mostly sliding doors, leaving the alcove wall with shelves and opposite wall as only whole one.

Dh doesn't like colour and wants white. I think it's a bad idea! Yellow?

[SueTrinder]

In a playroom I'd definitely go for white, easy to freshen up if need be and a good background to the riot of colourful toys. Or go to the opposite extreme and have a wall painted with blackboard paint (buy a big packet of chalks).

[BearFoxBear]

Our ds is currently in a box room a bit like this. We painted it pale grey and brightened it up with strings of bright multicoloured paper lanterns, yellow and white chevron accessories, and some colourful animal decals - it looks brilliant :)

[SunshineOutdoors]

Not sure but I think rustoleum do white blackboard paint too.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

I'd definitely do white but brighten it with framed kids' artwork, bunting etc.

[iamtotallyserious]

You shouldn't use white in rooms with little or no natural light - you need light reflectinging off the white walls to make white look bright, otherwise it can look very grey and gloomy. You should actually use stronger colours (with lots of pigment apparently ) in rooms which are dark. When we moved there was a basement room in our house which was painted a very dark brown from F&B. It was just too dark for me. We painted it a pale greeny blue (Pale Powder or similar) which is much better, but not white. I couldn't bring myself to go for the v dark colours, especially as I use the room to sew in, as opposed to a gentleman's club / smoking room...

[Misty9]

I've almost convinced dh to go with orange and yellow walls with white woodwork/shelves and above picture rail. Am tempted by opposite colours above picture rail but a step too far perhaps

[ANewIdentitytoJazzItUpABit]

No matter how bright white the paint, if it's in a room with no natural light then your walls will look dingy and shadowy. So if it was me I'd embrace the dark and paint your (my!) walls either with something vivid and glareingly colourful such as rich peacock greens, sunshine yellows, soulful blues etc or make your gloomy room into a cosy den like affair with browns, purples, reds etc. It sounds dareing but it really works. Google images of dark rooms and bright paint. It'll give you food for thought.