Let the Light In: How to Brighten Up a Dark Room

The search for a dream home can be rather elusive. You could end up with a space that won’t fit your preferences. You might end up with something that doesn’t provide enough light or it looks dreary.

You don’t need to live with it as there is still hope in making that section of your home brighter. Home renovation offers one option but there are smaller steps you can try out first.

Are you wondering about how to brighten up a dark room? Here are some tips that you can try out now.

1. Mirrors for Maximized Lighting

Don’t know how to brighten up a dark room? Try adding mirrors. These serve well in brightening the room due to its reflective properties.

Whenever possible, put a mirror directly opposite the windows to reflect as much light as possible.

Otherwise, consider placing them in strategic areas. Consider the use of angles and how the light bounces. Don’t be afraid to put multiple mirrors but pay attention to their style.

Try placing them over mantles, couches or side tables. Wherever you place them, it acts similarly to a window when it comes to opening up spaces.

Having items with reflective surfaces can also help with maximizing light. Consider having glimmering items in the room as well to bounce off light.

2. Paint the Ceiling Bright White

Try brightening the room with bright colors for your ceiling. In this case, paint the ceiling bright white.

With a bright white ceiling, it gives the impression of the room feeling taller. Take note that you need to use the clearest white to brighten a dark room. Other shades like cream, ivory, or other versions of off-white might give a different outcome instead.

3. Use Light Furniture

Make use of streamlined, light furniture for this kind of room. Placing overstuffed or heavily carved furniture may tend to give out a darker or heavier feel, pulling the aesthetics down. With light furniture, the room doesn’t have an overbearing appearance.

However, if you still plan to use heavy furniture, limit it to one or two pieces per room. Consider these ideas on furniture layout to get an idea of how to approach this.

4. Streamline Window Treatments

With windows being one of the sources of lighting to a room, you need to ensure light shines with ease. Change the curtains and other window treatments.

Bear in mind that dark and thick curtains absorb light, instead of reflecting it. Replace those with translucent shades instead to reflect the light into the room.

And if possible, make sure that the area outside where the windows are remains clear of any obstructions (like tree branches or other debris) for more natural light.

5. Step Up with Lighting

Additional lighting becomes a notable factor when you don’t have windows in the room. For this, do not be afraid to use lamps, especially when your skylight or main lighting fixture doesn’t provide enough illumination.

Aside from placing them in the right area, also choose lampshades that use a light material. Translucent shades allow for an easier diffusion of light. This helps in increasing the room’s brightness.

Using opaque lampshades causes the light to go upwards to the ceiling, or downwards.

6. Some Color Won’t Hurt

Now while the room itself is light, you might want to add some contrast for more balance in the room. This adds vibrancy to the room and you can achieve this with the use of furniture. You can also use foot rugs to achieve this effect.

If you only have one piece that has a striking color, it will stand out. Consider adding different shades of the color to help with the transition.

7. Try Using Lightwood Flooring

Aside from turning your attention to the walls and the ceiling, you can also achieve this with the floor. Lightwood flooring can help you with brightening the room while also giving out a distinct color when compared to the walls and ceiling.

Make use of light stains for your wood to gain some brightness into the room. Also, when you use lightwood flooring in areas with heavy traffic, you can easily mask scratches due to constant walking and dragging.

You can check out these hardwood floor types for more ideas on what to use.

8. Avoid Heavy Light Fixtures

The common theme in creating a space that is both bright and airy. You can achieve this with clever use of streamlined furniture, light colors, and translucent material.

With that said, try to avoid the use of heavy lighting fixtures. For overhead lighting, choose something that is visually lightweight and not too ornate. Crystal chandeliers work well in this regard due to how they reflect light from the bulbs.

9. Use Metallic Accents

There is also the option to use metallic colors since these can also reflect light vibrantly. Simultaneously, they give off an elegant aesthetic. Gold and silver accents work well here while copper doesn’t.

10. Opt to Use Matte Instead of Glossy

When it comes to painting the walls, think of using something that maximizes the reflective properties. Glossy surfaces create glare, which may end up straining the eyes and not reflect light in equal portions.

This is where matte surfaces work well. They can reflect light in every direction.

Know How to Brighten Up a Dark Room Today!

When you think that a room looks too dark or dreary, you can make use of these ideas to add more light and make it brighter. It boils down to the combination of color, light, and décor.

Need help in getting the right means to achieve the desired effects? Need more help to learn how to brighten up a dark room? You can contact us today for more interior design advice.

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