So dark walls do eat light so up your lighting I would make sure all the lighting you have is LEDs in 4000K that will mimic daylight so when you choose colors they stay true at night. Add some other layers of light that are not in the ceiling you should be fine . Dark wall colors can be quite wonderful. What do you mean by updated is your style more modern ? I prefer light furniture with dark walls but I love high contrast in my designs

No, it might displace a little light but not lots. If your room is dark then you don't have adequate windows or lightning. The color of the walls will not matter. I have a black wall in my kitchen and dining room, and a dark purple painted staircase and laundry room. All of those rooms are full of light because they have adequate windows and lighting.

Are you the homeowner or a friend? Dark colors are dark because they absorb light. LIght colors reflect light which bounces off other light surfaces. First time homeowners can paint one room in a dark color and see if they like the effect.

Also, consider an “eggshell” or semi-gloss dark paint. (Test a sample in a small area before doing a whole wall.) A finish that’s not flat-matte will help light bounce around the space.

I love dark painted rooms. My bedroom is Valspar's Urban Pulse, but I do have a west facing triple bay window, two lamps and a ceiling fan/light (a necessity, not a design statement.)

Oh yes dark colors absorb the light. There is little reflective quality. We just bought a camp in July. It had all dark light stealing colors. Ugh You had to use lights during the day to do any task. There is plenty of windows it was just that the paint was stealing all of it. I am still in the process of painting all the walls white. What a huge difference. I don't have to turn on lights during the day anymore. Like Patricia I like contrast, but I like light walls and darker in the furniture to ground the room. The objects in a room should be the star . The walls are just the backdrop. I have done rooms in all light colors, but not all dark colors. They may give you the initial wow , but are too depressing to live with on a daily basis.

Wow, painting one room dark to try it sounds like a good idea. Otherwise, covering up a dark paint with lighter paint will take many coats or a very high-quality paint.

I painted ONE wall in my kitchen a very dark green. I HATE IT. It absolutely soaks up all light!! DH and I went round and round and it bugs me that he was correct. Biggest mistake ever!!

All colors absorb a certain quantity of light. LRV, Light Reflectance Values listed in the fandeck will tell you how much light a color reflects and conversely absorbs.

There's a fine line between dark colors making a room feel dark and intentional atmosphere.

There are many expamples of rooms with dark walls that work beautifully. It is unusual to have an entire home with dark walls.

Usually when you have a room with dark walls you compensate with light flooring and furniture, light trim, light artwork and light window coverings, ceiling. It isn't like you are placing black furniture in a black room.

Usually you also don't paint the entire home with dark walls - it is reserved for the rooms where you want more drama or can work the look.

Good lighting is necessary in dark rooms, it is also necessary in light rooms to make the colors sing and necessary wherever you do any activity where lighting is needed . . . in other words every room needs good lighting.

Since these guys are first time home owners, they probably don't have the funds to gut the house, so before picking a paint color that they love and want, they need to look at all the things that have to stay in the house (can't afford to replace any time soon). They also need to look at all the items that they love and want to keep in their home (art, sculpture, furniture). and pick a color palette that works with those elements.

If they are just painting they will need to work with existing flooring, counter tops, cabinets, furniture, window coverings, art work . . .

Picking colors can't be done in isolation. Everything in your home comes together as a beautiful quilt of textures and fabrics and colors and styles. You can't just take a random handful of scraps from Joanne fabric and expect to make it look beautiful together any more that you can randomly go into a clothing store and buy any pair of pants and any shirt off the rack and expect that by some miracle it will fit you perfectly and create the perfect look that makes you feel like a 10 walking out the door.

Fortunately it had been reconfigured and updated by previous owners. We will see wha.t happens. Thanks for your thoughts.

We had a very dark blue living room for years, but it did have a large bay window for good lighting. I never found it dark or sucking up light. It had personality and was cozy.

I recently decided to paint it a creamy white for a change. The room didn’t gain ”light”, it just feels softer and larger. Fyi: I used BM paint and it covered beautifully in two coats.

I think paint choice should depend on taste, furniture, and how you want a room to feel.