If you’ve ever watched a home improvement television show, then you’ve most likely heard people talk about how important lighting is to space. Even, if you haven’t watched one of these shows, you’ve surely realized the difference in the way a dark room feels compared to how a brighter room feels. Bright spaces feel warmer and more welcoming. People also generally feel more cheerful if they are in a brighter space.

If you have a room in your home that doesn’t have much natural light, it may feel dark and depressing. Installing lighting fixtures is not the only way to make a dark room appear brighter. Interior designers are experts at transforming a space and adding or removing elements to make it appear brighter. Below, we’ll give you seven tips from the experts about how to make a dark room in your home appear brighter.

Maximize Any Natural Lighting the Room Has

Most likely, if you have a dark room, it is probably lacking in natural lighting. However, be sure that you are taking advantage of any available natural lighting. This may mean trimming back trees that are blocking your windows or washing the windows. These two steps will allow as much natural light to enter the space as possible. Inside the space, you can look for other ways to maximize the natural lighting, such as making sure any windows are not being blocked by anything that will prevent sunlight from entering into the room.

Paint the Ceiling White

A dark ceiling can make it feel like space is closing in around you. It can make your space feel dull and dark. On the other hand, a white ceiling can give the illusion of a higher ceiling and a brighter space. If you have a ceiling that is painted with a different color, consider repainting it with white paint to help freshen up space, open it up, and make it feel brighter. If you really want a color on your ceiling, then try to stick with lighter, brighter colors that won’t make the room feel closed-in. Alternatively, don’t forget LED ceiling lights are an option. By adding some LED lights, a white ceiling can be the perfect fix! You get the calmness of the ceiling alongside the contrasting coloured lights – win win!

Hang Art Work Upon the Walls

If you are purposeful in selecting art for your walls, it can have a dramatic effect on the space. When you are looking for artwork, be sure to choose pieces that are brighter and do not use a lot of darker or deeper colors. Adding these pieces to your walls can really help to transform your space and give the illusion that it is brighter.

Consider hanging acrylic prints on your wall. These prints are glossier than many other artwork options and can really help brighten your space. Plus, you’ll be able to select some of your favorite photos to be printed. You can choose family photos or photos from some of your favorite trips. Check out Posterjack.ca/products/acrylic-prints to see how easy it is to turn some of your favorite pictures into acrylic prints that you can use to brighten your space.

Hang Up Lots of Mirrors

Hanging a mirror, or multiple mirrors, in your space can make a huge difference. The mirrors will reflect light back and forth and will really help in brightening up space. If you have a window in your room, hang a mirror across from it so that the natural sunlight is reflected off the mirror and into space. You’ll be amazed at how much hanging a few mirrors can improve the space. And, as a bonus, when you hang mirrors in your space, it will also make it feel more spacious!

Accessorize Using Metal Objects

Metal is a great material to use to accessorize a darker room. The metal will help pick up and reflect light, giving the illusion that the room is brighter than it actually is. Look for ways to incorporate metallic objects into your space. This may mean looking for metallic pieces to hang on your walls, finding metallic accessories you like that you can place on end tables or bookshelves, or finding new lamps that have more metal on them. Try to find pieces that have a shinier metal finish, since they will be more likely to pick up and reflect more light. If you are looking for some inspiration for some metallic pieces to consider, you can visit this website.

Buy a Bright and Colorful New Rug

Just as the ceiling color can affect the feel of a room, the color on the floor can also have a similar effect. Try to find a bright and colorful rug to go on the floor in your space. This can help add color to your room and make it feel brighter. A bright rug will help guests feel more welcome in the space. If you have mirrors or metallic accessories in your space, they will pick up the bright colors on the rug and reflect them around the space to help the room feel brighter as well.

Choose New Window Treatments

When you are trying to brighten up your space, be sure to pay attention to your window treatments. If you have bulky or heavy curtains, they will prevent any light from entering into your space. Also, if your curtains are a darker color, they can contribute to making space feel darker overall.

Look for window treatments that can allow more light into space. You can consider blinds that are easy to open and let light in. Or, perhaps, you’d prefer to hang shears that will always allow the light to shine in, whether they are opened or closed. This article shares 12 window treatment ideas that will help make your space feel brighter.

If you have a room in your home that feels dark and drab, it can affect the overall feel of your home. If a room in your home needs to be brightened up, we have offered you seven different tips that interior designer use.

Most of the ideas we offered involve relatively simple and quick fixes. Brightening up your space doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With just a few small changes, you dark and drab room will be bright and welcoming in no time. You’ll be amazed at how a few small changes will truly transform your space!