There can be two reasons you wanted to brighten up a dark room. One, someone in your family or friends confronted you about your space that’s almost like a vampire’s lair or a haunted house. Or you’ve just moved into a new place and think it needs some renovations. Whichever you are of the two scenarios, we’re here to the rescue.
A well-lit space is not only inviting to visitors. It influences your mood and your overall well-being.
If you’re looking to brighten up your room, we have got just the right article for you. Here are 5 little changes for your space to make it look a little brighter.
Paint to White Walls
Painting the walls is one of the cheapest ways to transform a dark room. When you opt for white walls, it can make a room look more open and spacious.
In studying color psychology, many associates white color with a clean and fresh effect. We’re not suggesting that you use a “gallery-white” paint, which is very constricting for the colors you combine it with.
But going for white with some cool tones to it can add dimensions to your room and make it seem a little brighter and bigger than it is. If white is not an option, you can go for warm-toned neutrals.
There are two downsides to having white paint, though. You want to avoid handprints which you can solve by adding a coating. Also, whites get a yellowish color over time so you might need to repaint it once every or two years.
Matte over Gloss
Since we mentioned paint coating, the best option for making a room brighter is to choose matte over glossy ones.
Matte surfaces reflect light in every direction while gloss only creates glare.
When choosing furniture, you might also want to go for the ones that have a matte finish rather than glossy ones.
Change Your Bulbs
It might seem obvious to brighten up a dark room by adding in some lights. However, sometimes a room is dark only because of the wrong choice of bulbs.
More lumen equals brighter light. While less lumen means dimmer light.
Swapping your light bulbs, one with higher lumens can instantly brighten up your room.
Another tip to place your bulbs in the direction where it illuminates another space like a blank wall, not just pointing up or down.
If you’re living in a tiny space, adding more lights can fix a dark room when you only have a few windows that bring in natural light.
Opt for Lighter Curtains
Another trick to brighten your room is just to open your windows and let in some natural light to come in.
Dark curtains absorb light and block sunlight out.
Hence, opt for translucent shades, or thin curtains that does the purpose of giving you privacy from outside but still allow sunshine to spread throughout your space.
Minimize on Furniture
When you’re in a small and dark space, all you might need to brighten it is minimizing your furniture.
You tend to feel a little cramped up with furniture that you probably never need.
When selecting furniture to get a brighter illusion, you will want to contrast colors like solid dark hues with white wall paint.
Also, opening up your floor space can illuminate light in your room.
It’s also a good idea to brighten up your dark floors. If you have dark wooden floors, adding some light-colored carpet might be a good solution.
Another trick to brighten up a room is to change your linens and beddings.
Add Mirrors
This is always an easy trick.
Adding mirrors will reflect more light which will then brighten up the room instantly. It also adds more dimensions to space so not only does it look brighter, but it also will look more spacious.
If you have some art decors that are occupying your walls but only have a small space to work with, you might need to switch wall decors with mirrors.
These little changes in your interior will automatically create the illusion of not just a brighter room but also a spacious one.
