The green will make it look dark again. Go with the lighter yellow. Or cream. that's my vote :)

Unless you have super lighting in the area the best choice would be a very pale pale color but that's not to say you couldn't use green. Go with what you like. As for the floor, how about painting the perimeter and place an area rug.

I agree the green would be deadly. You need something that reflects light or even emanates it, not something that just soaks it up like that green does. Personally, I'd go for the turquoise if it has to be one of these colours. I don't really like the yellow either as it is a bit dull and greenish. At least in the fabric it is; the paint colour you've got there is different to my eye (though also dull). You don't explain the fabric but I assume it's the curtain? How married are you to that? It really gives you limited paint choices, and colours that will be hard to match with other fabrics.

My dungeon is in the attic, but same idea: it's a dingy room where I needed to see colours that are clean, bright, crisp, clear, clean. I chose a bright blue for the walls and a near-fluourescent green for the floor, and the trim will be white. That combo doesn't have to work for you but the general principle might work. I went to the decorator fabric store first and established that I could find several fabrics for curtains, bedspread, portiere, that would have that approximate blue and green in them.

For your floor, have you considered either tile (real tile), or just good old paint? I'd use an oil-based glossy paint in a bright colour - water might not touch it, and if it did it would be easy enough to scrape up loose bits and repaint.

With that fabric, turquoise walls and white floor would work for me. Besides the glossy floor (tile or paint), a satin finish on the walls would likely perk things up too.

KarinL

Jen, this isn't what you want to hear, so feel free to read no further. But I just got through painting a dark room in the cellar (grey cinder block walls) white. I cannot believe the change in that space! It went from a room that felt heavy and yes, like a dungeon, to a much brighter space. No change in light (very small cellar windows, and the same hanging shoplights), just paint, and the difference is amazing.

And after spending 15+ years going from white walled apartment to white walled apartment, I thought I would never want to see a white wall again!

So, if it were my little dungeon room, I would paint those walls white, hang that curtain (I love the material you have picked) and go with vinyl tiles or paint for the floor. And then perhaps a teal area rug to warm it all up. And good lighting- ? some kind of torchiere?

Also, what do you think about painting that vent that runs along the ceiling teal?

Another vote for simple, clean white! :)

THEN paint the floor in the green -- and add rag rugs (that can be washed) from Ikea. White shelving and furniture!

And lots of lighting options -- maybe asuspended track lighting system? Then task lamps on tables!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

I like the white or pale yellow and agree the green would be best on the floor. I love your fabric, it is so fun and fresh!

Painting the floor and adding rugs in a great solution because it will be super cheap and if you hate it you can always vinyl later and you won't be out much money. That said, we did black and white checker board stick on vinyl tiles in my husband'd workroom and they look great, and were pretty cheap.

A dissenting vote for a deeper color on the walls.

My basement had 2 small windows, and in an effort to make it brighter/lighter, I painted it white and sponged (this was many years ago) pale yellow over it. My theory was that this would cause the room to be bright and cheerful.

Somehow, it just did not work that way. It felt cold and drab, and was about as cheerless a space as I could imagine.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago: We gutted that room, and faced with colors, I went for a kind of coffee-colored carpet, deep buff walls, and rich accent tones overall. We had lost a window in an earlier remodel, but we did enlarge the one remaining window--still, a basement window facing north. The room has little natural light.

The effect? Cozy, cheerful, warm, and welcoming.

I just stumbled across this recent quote (from funcolors, on a thread in this forum about paint colors):

"Dim is dim. If the room receives an amount of natural light that is best described as "dim", it's still going to be dim even if you paint the walls white. The quality of natural light didn't change. Only the wall color changed to white. Intuitively it would seem that white would be the antidote to cure dim. But that's not how it works because color and light are partners. White is comprised of many wavelengths of light and it needs a light source that is robust and full to look pretty . Dim light doesn't give white paint much in the way of wavelengths to reflect back into the space -- and that's what white does, reflect."

So, all I know is that my experience was precisely this. The white and pale yellow I counted on to brighten my dim basement did not do that; when I abandoned that approach and embraced warming colors of medium tones, I was much happier, and find that space welcoming and cheerful.

We have a basement room with a knotty pine wall and only one very small north-facing window, so it's dark. It was painted a cream color with beige berber carpet on the floor when we moved into the house 10 years ago. It was always kind of blah. I recently painted it a deep orange and had light brown carpet installed, and it's now very cozy and appealing. But it started out as a more finished room than your space, so maybe it's a different situation.

Search on my name and "dark basement" to find pics.

here........

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg101918162567.html

Can you paint the ceiling? Blue would be fun...
I like the bonnie cream color best for the walls.

There are some great options in cork flooring out there, too, and would be great if you have any concerns about moisture in your "dungeon".

FWIW, in the basement of our previous house, we painted the walls and ceiling a very faint yellow, and put in a chair rail. The walls beneath the chair rail were painted green. It was much cheerier when we were finished, but the thing that made the most difference was enlarging the two tiny windows on the south wall.

Here's some pictures with furniture --

Here is a link that might be useful: More pictures of my basement

I think I'm also going to have to vote for the light creamy color. It doesn't look like this room has any windows and the cream will really brighten up the space.
Did you know that Amy Butler also has a rug line???!
Maybe you could find a bright rug for your space.
Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Amy Butler Rugs

I can't see an all white basement as being an appealing place to hang out, especially if kids are involved, but I do agree that the green is not a good option either. Have you considered using 2 colors on your walls? Something like this? (put your shades on! LOL) It's not hard to do and may be a good option for you too. Chair railing is not expensive and is easy to hang. You could paint the bottom in the aqua or green and the top in white. I work at home, love color and wanted something less traditional to work in. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love that darker aqua color and honeydew melon green together. We found this inexpensive trim at Home Depot for our chair railing. It's still a work in progress, so excuse the mess.

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This is the trim we used for chair railing.

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Thanks so much for all your opinions and ideas. I truly appreciate it. My DH just shakes his head and says "I hope this is all worth it." :) This room has been the deep dark secret shame of our house forever-- how can it not be worth it???

Sue, why oh why did you have to show me that link. Her rugs are gorgeous too. Definitely not in the budget though.

Lukki, I love that someone else is attracted to these colors. The rest of my house is very subdued, very neutral, somewhat traditional. I just want to turn this little gloomy room into a fun place to be.

It appears pretty unanimous that yellow/cream/white is the way to go. I just can't let go of the green, so I guess I will paint the floor green and get an area rug. I'm also curious about cork and I'm going to check it out!

Thanks,
Jen

Cork is not usually recommended for a floor that has water issues.

Have you heard of Tarkett fiberfloor? It's like vinyl but basically lays right on the floor and can be taken up and just dried out if there is a flood. It comes in some really neat patterns. I don't know how big your space is. I think it comes in 12 foot widths.

As far as carpet goes I'd just use those squares. They're great for mixing and matching colors and if one gets badly stained you can just change it out.

jlc

LOVE the colors
If you have occasional moisture, I would rec remedying the source before putting anything down - I know & have lived to regret it - 2 carpets & one expensive piece of high end Armstrong flooring later.

The rolled flooring will trap the moisture underneath & grow mold - I pulled mine up and out several times w/water damage, cleaned w/bleach & put it back. It was such a beast to take up as it is so large & difficult to manage.

1st place to ck is gutters, downspouts, leaders all pitched away from house - landscaping/gardens should be pitched also for run off away from foundation - if its not those it could be a high water table, which can be remedied w/sump pump

If you clean the floor really well with TSP (tri sodium phosphate) rinse, rinse, rinse - then you could put several coats of cement paint - and keep ckn'g on the moisture before committing to another type of flooring. I just put the peel/press tiles down on my utility side of my basement - did it myself & they are holding

this pic is old & shows the nice armstrong flooring

Oh I can't wait to see how this is going to turn out.
I love both lukkiirish and jejvtr rooms!

"It appears pretty unanimous that yellow/cream/white is the way to go."

I really hope this works out for you, and if they are the colours you want I'm sure they will fill your expectations.

But I can't resist saying how funny it is that we read so differently depending on our own preferences... I would have said that even not counting my response, this thread had a totally different message.

Regardless, I'm sure you will create a lovely room!

KarinL

Thanks justgotabme, I will be glad when it's finished, but even now, it's a fun room to be in!

So many great suggestions on flooring-- thank you. At this point, I've decided I will either paint the floor or do vinyl planks.

KarinL- your comment made me curious, so I went back through and checked. I count 2 votes for dark/midtone, 5 for cream/pale yellow, 1 vote for chair rail/two colors, 3 for white, and one for turquoise. So I guess it's not unanimous, but majority. And I *still* like the green the best :)

Don't hate me for chiming in late and different, but: I actually vote for a darker, more saturated color than cream or light yellow, with light colored accents (a nice white chair rail, light furniture, bright art, your great curtains, reflective objects) to keep it from getting too heavy. Light colors in a dark room can look cold, and the light color can just come out looking dimmer. Rich, dark warm colors tend to make dark rooms feel cozy. I really like your green but would be concerned about it not because it is darker, but because it is a cool tone and hard to warm up without natural light. If you love the green, maybe go with the chair rail idea, put the green on the bottom and the deepest yellow you have on top? Absolutely love your colors. Am planning to do my basement guest room in F&B Blue Ground (a turquoise) with accents in white and a very similar green to likkuriish's. So fun!

I love your fabric...it's so fresh and cheerful and is sure to brighten your 'dungeon', LOL.

I hate to say it too, but not a big fan of the darker green for the basement. I could see walls painted white or even a more citrusy-green. The aqua could work too, depending on what else is going in the basement.
Or... perhaps paint one wall in a brighter, fun colours and the remaining walls in white.

Another nice aqua colour is Benjamin Moore's Birds Egg.A fresher green could be something like BM Rainforest Dew.
(I'm not much help, sorry,lol. I'm soooo indecisive on paint colours myself, that I hate to make any recommendations:))

I guess I was weighting the answers as well as counting them. Some came with explanations that made me see the options differently, while others were just what people liked. But I'm still on a steep learning curve about colour and may be responding more to information that I need :-)

KarinL

I have this goofy phylosophy about color (and about spelling phylosophy I believe...but go with me please) :oP I rarely (ok never) have seen someone actually suceed in making a small room look larger, or making a large room look small and intimate, or making a dark room look light, blah blah blah. I much prefer to see people "embrace the dark side" :) or the light side or the small side of their world.

You have a lovely cozy space. Adding overly bright colors to an otherwise dark space is going to feel a bit forced most likely. I'd second and third and fourth the suggestion that you consider finding your dark side :) A nice latte colored wall, rich green or cinnamon flooring choice, accents of deep greens or earth tones...yummy :) Deep and cozy, which is just what that space needs...just find it's dark side :) It's better over on the dark side, just ask my uncle Darth....

There is a nice article in this month's This Old House on basement remodels. Lots of pics, some with light walls, some with dark. You might find some inspiration there.