Got a new place and it’s darker than it seemed during your sale visits? And now you are trying to figure out how to make a dark and uninviting room bright and welcoming? It is without a doubt, always a challenge for people when moving into a new house. It is most especially true if you are an outdoor lover and the new place doesn’t have large enough windows to bring in sunlight. But don’t you fret! There are many simple and easy ways you can transform your house into a brighter home.
The best part about decorating a house is that it is fun although challenging. So, to keep the fun and take the challenges away, we have put together seven fantastic tricks to brighten a dark room. From picking a perfect set of custom curtains to the right kind of lighting, trust us, you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Focus on Lighting
This is an obvious one. The first thing that comes to you or anyone’s mind when a room is dark is to put on the lights. However, many people tend to overlook the need for multiple light sources in a room, forgetting that bringing in more light sources can be the defining difference. You should have at least three light sources plus the natural light in your room to get the best results. You can opt for floor lamps, sconces, candles, overhead lighting, etc. to add that required brightness. And remember, the placing of the lights has a lot of effect.
The Mirror is Your Friend
The use of mirrors to brighten a living room is a time tested trick. And you can use it to your advantage. To maximise the full potential of a mirror as a brightening agent, you need to ensure it is strategically placed near a vibrant light source. For example, you can place floor lamps or table lamps next to a mirror to amplify the natural lighting of the room. Or if you have the space, place a giant mirror (whether on the floor or the wall) near a window. You will be amazed at the result. Try it and see!
Pick your Window Treatments Thoughtfully
The goal is to bring in more light. And you can’t achieve that with heavy curtains! So pick light, sheer window treatments – curtains or custom roman shades – that let in plenty of light and air. Avoid dark, heavy fabrics. If privacy is a concern with sheers, layer your sheers with heavier drapes in front which you can draw any way you need privacy.
Paint your Room White
As if you needed a reason to change the mid-century look of the floor and walls. But really, without any doubt, white is the best way to brighten a dim room and bring life to your space. With white floors and walls, light can bounce around reflecting on other surfaces. This doesn’t only brighten your room; it also makes it look a lot bigger than it is.
Use High Gloss Paint
Shining walls are a perfect way to reflect light and increase natural light in your home. High gloss paints have higher reflection properties and enable light to bounce off them. This gives your walls a mirror like quality and maximises whatever light is already filtering inside your space.
Experience the Wonders of Low Furniture
Ensure that the low-ground furniture is minimalistic in itself. The last thing you want to do is to stuff an already gloomy room with furniture that swallows whatever space is left! The bigger the furniture, the less space you have and the darker the room feels. When adding pieces of furniture to your space, your goal is to ensure that you leave as much space as possible. Give space between furniture and watch the extra space open itself up to more lighting ideas.
Choose Large and Bright Floor Rugs
Decorate the floor of your house with large bright color rugs and watch your space transform into a beautiful bright abode. Not only do rugs add texture and softness to the floor, but also brighten it up. This is especially useful for rooms with dark floorboards. Vibrant colors such as white, yellow, or any warm hue combinations will do the trick. We said large rug because the size of the rug helps to enlarge the visual space.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are so many ways to brighten a room without feeling overwhelmed. Apart from our seven tricks to brighten a dark room, you can do some other things as well. Things like deep cleaning your windows and not overdoing anything. We hope our tricks help you feel more at home in your room.
