Gloomy dark rooms

[Sazzle41]

My flat has beautiful huge sash windows painted white but it seems very gloomy . Its got dark blue carpet and magnolia throughout. Would white walls and sand/sisal carpet help? Cant afford to spend a fortune...

Also, if i pulled the carpet up and it was bog standard floor boards would varnishing them medium dark look cheap/nasty with white walls?? Or final cheap option, put in dado rail so pastelly teal or mint up to dado then white?

[holeinmyheart]

Dark floors make rooms contract in size.
I would have a look underneath the carpet to see what the floors are like but if you are on the first floor, floorboards will mean quite a bit of noise for those under you.
If you are on the ground floor. You could sand and wax the floors and lime them white. ( look up Liming floor boards on the Internet) It will lighten the room. Put a nice light Rug on top of the floor boards, table lamps with white shades and some big mirrors and that should do the trick.

[80sMum]

A nice big white rug? Better lighting? Lots of mirrors?

[zarzlee71]

I think what you suggested would help. And varnished floors look very attractive to me,plus they are easier to keep clean

[NorahDentressangle]

Lift the carpet and bin. Paint the skirting board white (rather than try to paint it once a new floor covering is down) and see how the floor looks. Then decide carpet (warm, quiet) or bare boards (less warmth, noisy) or large rug with painted floor round edge or whatever. But I think its the carpet which is making the room dark.

Magnolia looks bad with modern greyish colours, if you have any, otherwise it's ok and warmer than white.