What Color Should You Paint a Dark Basement?

Although most basements have very little natural light, some do have windows. Your lighting, both natural and electric, will help determine your color options. In addition, you need to consider the purpose of the space. Some types of rooms, such as a media center, are better with darker colors, whereas a playroom might look better with brighter colors. 

Bright Whites and Cool Blues and Grays

When you have a dark room in your house, you need to use paint color to brighten it up. Windows and natural light make any room feel larger and more open, and the basement is lacking this benefit. The way to open up the space is with bright whites or cool blues and grays. These colors will maximize how big the space feels, especially if you have good lighting.

Basement Media Room

People often take advantage of their extra basement space to create a media room. This is a place where you can use a darker color to create that cozy effect where the movie or video screen is the primary focus. You can try out rich shades of red, charcoal, or deep blues in this room. It will allow you to be completely engaged in the video games or the movie.

Basement Playroom

You might use your basement for your children’s playroom. This is a great option for giving kids a space of their own, and you have a lot of color choices because it is away from the rest of the house. You can choose colors to inspire your children and brighten up their little world. Go with bright colors such as orange, teal, or bright blue. Just make sure you have enough light. If you have good lighting, these bold colors will not make the space feel too small.

Basement Bedroom

If you make a bedroom in the basement, you can also choose a darker color for the walls. The bedroom is a quiet place where you might want to create a cave-like environment. You can use a dark green or blue for this effect. If you want to make a brighter room, you can use a soft color such as sky blue. This will help to bring the outdoors inside in place of the natural light. You have a lot of options for a bedroom, and you need to decide what feeling you want from the room before you determine what color scheme to use. 

Unfinished Basements

Even if your basement is unfinished, you should paint the walls. Most unfinished basements are used for storage of some kind, so you will want to see what you have down there. You can use bright white in any basement. If you want to have fun with it, you can also use a bright or bold color such as teal or bright blue. You can really do anything you like because it is separated from the rest of the house, and as long as you don’t use a dark color that shrinks the room, it will turn out great. 

Jeff Sommers

Jeff Sommers is a vibrant and experienced professional, having been at the helm of ESP Painting, Inc. for 27 remarkable years. As President, he has become an esteemed leader in the Commercial & Residential Construction industry in Oregon, United States. His experience has seen him gain valuable insight and knowledge, making him an invaluable asset to ESP Painting and its customers. With a bubbly personality and upbeat attitude, Jeff always looks ahead to the future as he continues his leadership journey toward success.