1. RICH PLUMS
'Cosy snugs, intimate dining rooms and small sized rooms, like powder rooms, can lend themselves to a strong color palette, especially when they don’t benefit from a huge amount of natural light,' says Benjamin Moore's Helen Shaw. 'Painting the room in rich colors from floor to ceiling, such as Carter Plum CW-355, can look particularly striking.'
2. DARK TEAL
'If you are lacking that natural sunlight, I always encourage clients to embrace it and go for darker colors that absorb shadow and give the room a bit of pizazz and character,' says Lick's Tash Bradley. 'Darker shades, like Lick’s Teal 03, really absorb the shadow.'
3. WARM WHITE
"Brilliant" whites are a color to avoid in north-facing rooms. An inviting off-white is a lovely hue to add lightness yet warmth to a space without much natural light. 'In a small north-facing space avoid overly clean harsh whites, they will just feel too gloomy and grey, so look for whites with a little more weight of color through them,' advises Patrick O’Donnell, a color expert for Farrow & Ball 'Something like White Tie or Joa’s White will work a treat as the former has some yellow through and the latter a dose of red.'
4. CHOCOLATE BROWN
Don’t be afraid to embrace a darker room by using darker, warmer shades on all walls. 'Dark colors work really well in small rooms with limited natural light as they can create a cozy, inviting environment,' says Little Greene's Ruth Mottershead. 'Instead of trying to make the room feel bigger, select a deep shade to embrace the character of the space.
5. SUNSHINE YELLOW
An earthy, ochre yellow will bring much-needed warmth to a room without much natural light. Farrow & Ball Babouche is a one joyous yellow has just the right amount of richness needed to add a subtle glow to light-starved spaces. Whether it's to add life to a small entryway, dark and narrow utility room or coziness to a north facing living room, this spicy yellow will add 'light' where there is none.
6. DUSKY PINK
Dusky pinks are a beautiful, welcoming paint color that will make a dark room look brighter, which will create an airier feel with a warm edge. 'If you're looking to bring a light airy feeling to a dark space, white is not the only option,' says Little Greene's Ruth Mottershead. 'Very bright whites can make a space feel stark or harsh, and you will achieve the same light and airy feel with soft pastel tones. Paint walls and woodwork in the same color, or slight tonal variations of the same hue, such as delicate, powder-like hue, Masquerade, which adds warmth to a space, offering an uplifted and calm atmosphere.'
She adds: 'By using it alongside Masquerade Light on a ceiling and Masquerade Mid on skirting and woodwork, you can create a harmonious design scheme that brings a light, airy feel as well as plenty of design interest to a dark room.'