Holding up two swatches, my mother asked: should a living room be painted light or dark? Oh, what a question. On the one hand, dark colors are deep, rich, and immediately set the tone for the space.

Take this as an opportunity to majorly revamp your dark room with a can or two of paint. Emma Kemper, the founder of Emma ...

Lamps in all shapes and sizes can be used to recast the feel of a room ... being these dark areas where nothing’s happening,” Ms. Zerbini said. Even if you do have one light fixture at ...