A Guide To Lightening Up Your Home

Lightening up a room makes it instantly more appealing, so no matter how much natural light a room gets, or whatever its size, there are plenty of useful tricks you can employ to bring brightness to any living space. If you are looking for the perfect ways to create a cosier and warm atmosphere in your home, then with these top tips for brightening up your home, you can easily create a welcoming and inviting space!

Incorporating mirrors

More than just a practical accessory, a mirror is a clever tool for making a room feel lighter and bigger, as it reflects light back into the space. Position mirrors so they’re perpendicular to the windows, so they capture the maximum amount of light and bounce it back into the room. As well as mirrors, shiny materials such as glass and metal are great for reflecting light back, so think glass coffee tables, shiny lamp fittings, metal picture frames, etc.

Choosing the right curtains for your home

A variety of home decor pieces can have a huge impact on how light a room feels without you even knowing! For example, your choice of tailored curtains whether the fabrics be cotton or linen, can have a great effect on how your home is portrayed. In order to create a light feel in your home, stick to pale colours to keep a room feeling bright, such as white, beige or pastel shades.

During the day, make sure curtains don’t block out any of the light from the windows – tie-back styles are a good idea, especially ones with shiny textures that shimmer in the light. You should also consider extending the curtain rail beyond the window casing, so curtains can be drawn further away from the windows during the day, allowing as much light as possible to enter a room.

Keep windows clean and the view clutter-free

Speaking of windows, you can ensure that the maximum amount of light is allowed to enter a room by keeping windows regularly cleaned. Avoid cluttering window-sills as well with plants and ornaments, as these can block out light. If there are any bushes outside the window that might be stopping light from flooding inside a room, get your pruning shears out and give them a much-needed chop.

Reconsider your fabric and furniture choices

If you want to make a room feel brighter, eliminate any heavy, dark furniture, fabrics or accessories, and stick to light materials. If you have a dark floor, add a light-coloured rug to bounce light back up into the room. Interior design experts suggest that the more cluttered a room is, the darker, and smaller, it can feel, so get rid of any excess items in a room that might be hindering its appearance.

Give your wall colour scheme a makeover

As with your choice of furniture, accessories and curtains, the colours you choose to decorate your walls will influence how light and bright a room may feel. While lighter colours are preferable, you don’t necessarily have to stick to pure white, which can have a very clinical feel. Ideally, you should be decorating with warm colour schemes by picking any warm tone of colour to keep you on the right track. If you want to add a bit more depth of colour, you could bring this out in a single feature wall, which is an effective way to draw attention to a space without focusing on other aspects such as room size or light levels.

It’s also a good idea to make sure the wall colours you choose marry well with your curtain choice. Choose a plain colour for your walls if you’re opting for curtains with a pattern, or vice versa if you’re opting for walls with patterned wallpaper.

If a room is naturally quite dark, stick to using matte paint for the walls rather than gloss, as this will create a softened feel. However, gloss does work well on ceilings in a dark room as it reflects light, making a space feel naturally brighter.

Lighting fixtures that matter the most when lighting your home

The amount of natural light in a room can be unequal in different areas, so in order to boost light where it’s needed, consider adding task lighting, table lights or ambient wall lights, rather than relying on a single ceiling pendant light. Having different lights dotted throughout a room is also useful if you sit in various parts of the room throughout the day or evening, to help illuminate tasks such as reading or working at a desk.

Think about the style of home lighting you choose, as well. Lights hidden behind heavy shades won’t add much brightness to a room, so pick those that will fill a room with brightness, such as an uplight, which will throw light onto the ceiling, instantly making a room feel lighter.

Your choice of lamp bulb also reflects how light a room can feel. Choose a lamp bulb that offers a warm glow rather than a white glow, for a more natural outlook. Again, think about how the light bulb colour interacts with elements such as furniture and curtains to enhance the look and feel of a space, and to boost its brightness.