The “Reflection” Paint Rule Designers Swear By to Avoid a Costly Mistake

Many of us have heard that painting a dark room a light, airy color will make that room feel brighter and bigger. But according to famed interior designer Emily Henderson, dousing a dark room in a light color (including white!) will only make the space feel “dull and sad.”

“Light paint color is not going to fix your dark room,” Emily said in a recent Instagram video she shared with her followers. “In fact, it’s gonna make it worse.”

Emily went on to explain that when a room has less natural light — including those with only one window, or only indirect light from nearby rooms — lighter colors don’t “work” the way they’re supposed to. 

“Less natural light means there is less reflection around the room,” she said. “Light paint colors rely on that light to appear bright and airy. So, if there’s not enough natural light, colors will look really dull and flat.”

No windows, no reflection — no light, bright vibe. It’s science!

There’s only one solution to dealing with a dark space, and that’s to lean in and make it moody, according to Emily.

It’s a rule that she learned the hard way. Emily admitted she made the mistake of painting a dark room in her house a light color when she first moved in. “I was scared of making this room a cave,” she shared, showcasing her own cozy sitting room. “I thought that a lighter paint color would counteract the lack of windows in here. Instead, it just felt sad.”

After living with the “sad” light paint for a while, Emily decided to paint over it with a dark, moody blue, and she color-drenched the entire space to really lean into the drama. “It’s now perfect,” she said.

“Agree, and I’ve been preaching this for years!” a fellow designer wrote in the comments of Emily’s post. “We aren’t fooling anyone into thinking a room is bright if it has minimal natural light, so might as well make it an intentional mood.”

Someone else wrote, “Where were you when I was trying to convince my husband of this??!! He finally gave in, and I’m almost done with it and it is gonna be SUCH a vibe!!!”

So when you’re hemming and hawing about what paint color to go with in a space with little or no natural light, remember this mantra Emily came up with: “A dark room should be dark. A lighter room should be light.”

Your finished space will shine every time.