I really don’t like darkness. When I was growing up, my family’s home always seemed just a bit too dark. The flooring was dark, the only lights were from small table lights, and it just wasn’t as lit as the house I am currently living in. As someone who really thrives in light – and someone who lives in the UK now, where it is fairly dark and grey -getting the most out of the light in your home is just needed. Here are some of the best tips when considering how to make your room feel lighter.
Wall Paint
When it comes to the colors of your walls, these will really help light move around the room and reflect. Having a busy wall or dark will will end with a dark room, even if you have a bunch of lights in them. There is a reason why HGTV home design shows pick neutral, light colored walling and do darker colored trim and detailing – it’s to keep the room bright and lovely. The walls in our home are currently all a slightly off white – a cream color – so that the light in the room can bounce around. Light blues, greys, or even whites are great as well, while trimming and details within the room can add a pop of color or change the feel.
Wood Flooring
Carpet can really absorb light, so good quality wood flooring is the way to go. Having a lighter colored wood can make more of a difference then darker colored wood, but wood generally is much better than full carpet. You can always add your own rugs over the top, in bright and vibrant colors, to continue the theme of your room and match the colors that you have going on elsewhere. We always pick a light colored carpet with bits of color, and then match the color of the carpet to our throw pillows or details within the room.
Lighting
When it comes to lighting, I’ve always found higher up lighting is the best. It’s able to provide more light into the room – so ceiling lights are the best, but often can’t be easily added into your home. When that’s not possible, larger standing lights can do the job! Once you have picked your lighting it’s important to consider the lampshade on your lamps. Some lampshades actually block out a lot of light – for the longest time we had a beautiful, long, purple lampshade, but as it turns out the light coming through the shade was a dark pink and as the shade was the wrong size for the light we had, a lot of the light was being blocked. Try out different lampshades depending on what you are going for, but keep in mind the length of them and design of the outside.
Natural Light
Natural light is always the best light to brighten up your home, but sometimes it can be tricky, even if you have a window. Finding curtains that are easy to move about, so that you can bring in the light when you want it and block out the outside world when you want privacy is key. If your curtains are too long and go behind items, making them hard to move, you’re less likely to open the curtains and let in light. It’s also worth thinking about the type of closure you want to hold open your curtains, ensuring the light will be able to get in. Just moving curtains to the side often doesn’t allow the max amount of light to come in, so having some sort of rope to tie them and then a hook to pull it to the side is a big help.