Q. I recently painted my bedroom Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea gray (HC-168) and am wondering if I made a mistake. I feel like I am living in a cave, even with the cream ceiling, cream velvet curtains and the honey stained yearn furniture. There is no ceiling light available, all we have are table lamps to light our space. any ideas to help brighten up the room — besides repainting?

— C.M.

A. Grey is a beautiful, hip colour, although it can in some cases be challenging to work with depending on the room. If your space has a lot of light, grey walls can work well and give you just a little touch of shading. If your space is small and dark, grey walls can certainly make it feel cave-like. With your cream-coloured drapery and ceiling, grey ought to work nicely in your bedroom, but if you feel it is still too dark, think about adding a punch of colour, such as red. Red striped throw cushions on your bed or side chair or a red wool throw at the end of your bed might help brighten up the room while adding warmth at the same time. Your trim and ceiling colour might be too creamy to contrast with the grey. If so, try Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White (OC-130); it might help add depth and contrast against the grey. try hanging a large mirror to reflect the natural light from the windows into the room to make it seem larger and brighter.