is it possible to brighten up a dark room?

[lostintransit]

Im feeling quite down in the dumps, lots going on including building works. I also keep getting itchy feet and looking at other houses thinking a move would help. But having spent 4 years renovating this place i would rather not start again and tbh we cant really afford to move anyway.
So getting to the point. Our lounge is so dark. There is a conservatory built infront so no windows other than those looking into conservatory. Its dark and cold and when i go in there i feel worse than usual. Any ideas for brightening it up? Walls already painted white and woodwork on walks painted very pale grey/green which has helped. Now I need more ideas.We have shit lights too. Kids always wreck lamps as they get knocked over etc. Think i need bright lights to cheer the place up.
Any ideas?

Could you paint it a warm cream instead of white, I always find white quite stark. How about some large mirrors on the walls to reflect the light and make it feel bigger?

Mirrors are definitely a must. Instead of going for one big one which can be expensive how about grouping different sizes and shapes of mirrors together. What about the windows? Could you let in more light there, change blinds to white wood ones or something? Do you have a door into the room that could be changed to one with a glass panel?

knock down the conservatory and put in a window?
Do you use it?

Yes we do use the conservatory. It is south facing and so in summer it gets lovely and warm and is lovely and bright. Its just while i am patiently waiting for summer type weather the lounge gets me down with its darkness!

Im thinking lights lots of them. I wish the had a sunshine bulb to mimic good weather!!

I agree with the previous post.....unfortunately I would avoid white. The problem with white is it needs natural sunlight to bring out the best. Contrary to popular belief, white often looks dull when painted in a dark room and therefore makes a dark room seem dull. Definitely look at some warmer colours. Sometimes the key is to accept the room is dark and work with it. Look at some of the earthy/stone colours (light stone...see Farrow and Ball shaded white as an example) and add warmth with soft furnishings....greens, citrus/ochre shades to add a bit of 'zing' to the room. Also, silvery lamp bases are great as they reflect and showcase at the same time any little light that the room may get and work well in brightening a room. I understand your dilemma completely. Its a difficult one. Hope this helps a little...

......if your house is modern.....as an alternative, keep the walls white and do as you have said....add lots and lots of bright lighting and some splashes of light in your soft furnishings as said before.

Thanks i for that. I have been looking for some lamps in past few days, not found something i like yet but know lighting will help.

Also have decided to ditch my current throws on couchs as the are charcoal and grey with some deep wine patterns. Just the sofas on their own look less busy and lighter. I will replace throws with something brighter. Cant do wihtout throws as kids and dog make too much mess!

Don't know what your style is...but BHS has sale on at the mo. Their lighting section sometimes worth a look.....

If you want really bright go for energy saving daylight bulbs. They really are just like daylight. Also that light reflecting paint from Dulux comes in various shades.