Neutral paint colour for daaaark living room - feel clueless!

[sydenhamhiller]

Am hoping the lovely MN can help.

Our 1959 house's living room has a low ceiling, low-ish windows, and an L-shaped extension which combines to make it quite a dark room. Even on a sunny day you need to put a light on really.

So, finally, 7 years after we moved in, we are painting over the original magnolia...but with what? I was going to go with some kid of off-white, but a couple of friends have said a dark room is sometimes better with colour. As I have 3 kids and 2 cats, the colour probably should be dirt-coloured!

Interior design/ paint colours is sadly not a strength...I'd be so grateful for some advice/ suggestions. Trawling previous posts, there seems to be a lot of talk of FB's Slipper Satin and Wimbourne White...

We did our living room with dulux hessian, neutral and light but warmer than magnolia and the hall in ivory silk, can't remember if it was dulux or not.

Is the room almost too dingy too use or OK? I wonder in this case whether it would be worth considering a light reflecting paint? My sister used one in the dingy hall and it did definitely brighten things up, along with a couple of strategic mirrors. I know what your friends mean about colour, but I think it depends a bit on size and what effect you want.

What way does the room face? I do think that the quality of light means that 'warmer' neutrals/colours work nicely in north facing rooms while 'cooler' ones can be quite elegant in south facing ones.

PS if you end up going for designer paints like F&B (rather than Dulux light reflecting) then I'd consider Little Greene Intelligent Matt Emulsion - it has the matt, highly pigmented look of F&B but is washable. Beautiful stuff

Deluxe do a great range of paints that are called something like: "light and airy" or "open spaces" they are great fresh colours, really pale and bright, but with a colour if you see what mean!

F&B Oxford stone is a lovely warm neutral. Has transformed our dingy sitting room. You can get the modern emulsion which is wipeable.

I would probably go with a 'hint of' type colour so it still has some colour (white can look wrong in a dark room) or light reflective (assuming they work) but then look at some very carefully placed mirrors. We have a mirror which is a bit like a sun - a circle in the middle with some other small circles on spokes coming out of it - sounds awful but it looks nice (well I think so anyway - it was Argos/B&Q if I remember right) and it reflects the light well because it is actually about 30 mirrors.

We are currently decorating our new place and my new favourite neutral is Dusted Moss 3 by Dulux. This is coming from a die hard F and B girl. I am disillusioned with the emulsion finish not being touch up-able and the way eggshell is knackered after a month or 2. I have three kids so do need something that will take the knocks a bit better. Some rooms will still be F and B because I know their colours so well but high traffic Dulux trade. Anyway I digress. Dusted Moss 3 is my vote

The Dulux Endurance range of paints has several light, pale 'white-ish' shades and is also really tough! Even the matte colours can be wiped and scrubbed so are very practical for a family living.

Another alternative is motion sensor lighting - that way you can have any colour you like ?!? It's relatively easy to install - you can buy what you need online or at a maplins type store ... Worth a look ?!?!

I think sometimes it's just worth accepting that the room is dark and going with it - I've seen some amazing charcoal/navy living rooms. Google Abigail Ahern who seems to thrive on dark colours in rooms not over-blessed with natural light but makes them look amazing with some very bright accessories. We can't all live in New England beach houses .

I have a north facing cottage , we used natural calico by dulux in the (beamed and small windowed lounge) with alight couloured carpet. And the light and space range for the girls bedroom (green and pink). I have to say I'm impressed with the light and space stuff as it does seem to work.

I second lalalonglegs! Bit of a bold design decision, mind, but a dark charcoal type paint mixed with some good strategic lighting and light coloured accessories/furniture can make a virtue of a necessity. like so. That said, I use Dulux Endurance in Egyptian Cotton simply everywhere so I clearly don't take my own advice....

Thanks everyone, will hit b&q at the weekend for my sample pots...