Have you ever attributed the root of your perpetual fatigue and apathy to the lighting source in your living quarters? It is a well-established fact that humans fare better when embraced with sunshine and a fairly lit abode as opposed to a poor one. Everybody aspires to own a bright airy apartment but some of us have to make do otherwise. However, just because a room has tiny windows or no windows at all doesn’t mean it has to be all dark and gloomy. These tips would help you brighten up a drab space and turn your murky cave in to a captivating gleeful haven:
1. Tweaking the Paints and Lightening
Darkly Painted or wooden paneled ceilings are a common sight but they lean towards casting a foreboding spell over the room and make it seem caved in. It is prudent to give your ceiling a splash of fresh white coat, which would help in reflecting the light instead of absorbing it. If white is too somber for you, a smear of luminous buttery yellow, powder blue, mint or cream would well do the trick. The versatile appeal of lavender is also welcome in dim lit room, with its prim shades ranging from barely there tints to dusky violet hues.
While you might be tempted to incorporate a pop of vibrant colors to break the monotony of the neutrals, steer clear of overtly brightly colors as they are not pleasing in a dim room. If you must choose a red, blue, green or some other rich color, limit it to just one wall, while painting the others in lighter hues. Another way to slip in a touch of warm colors is to add a stenciled accent trimming along the ceiling, in exquisite inlays of flowers, leaves or abstract.
Since a subdued light enters a dim lit room already, it is important to make use of what you have. If your windows are covered with dark and heavy drapes, you are blotting out whatever light might have come through. Use sheer or lighter-material curtains in subtle hues to lend an illusion of more space and light in your room. Sheer fabric will allow more light to enter the room, compared to the thick, dark ones.
If artificial lighting is what you have resorted to, avoid overtly flooding the space with fluorescent light and employing harsh light. You can place multi-hued shades of night lamps to diffuse light through the room or substitute the bulb with a track light. In a room, devoid of an overhead fixture, place lamps facing the ceiling to imbue the room with a soft glow. It would also be interesting to alternate different sources of light. For example, you can have a chic pendant light hanging from the ceiling, one or two table lamps plus some artwork or wall décor with lots of white in it.
2. Light Optimized Décor
Less is more! Cumbersome furniture, such as floor-to-ceiling shelves, dark cherry TV Cabinet or dark wooden bed with hefty posts, and accessories could overwhelm a room and induce claustrophobia. Swap overstuffed and clunky pieces for those with smooth, sleek lines and light legs. You can re paint your existing furniture or buy bright colored slip covers for sofa backs or chairs. Always accentuate your dark room with light-colored accent pieces that are bright in color. Adding floor-to-ceiling mirrors could also create an illusion of light and space in the room. Mirrored tiles or gilded mirror frames could also enhance the brightness of the room.
Instead of saturating the room with furniture, install wall mounted shelves of light colored wood to store your essential accessories. Additionally, never keep tangles of wire and cables across the room since they make the room feel cluttered. Try to keep all cables neatly wound and tucked away against the baseboards with tapes.
Using natural elements to decorate your room can also help compensate for a lack of natural light. In particular, plants can make even the most cave-like of rooms feel a little brighter. Use pots in bold, vibrant colors like red, yellow or cobalt to display your flowers and greenery to really brighten the space.
3. Minor Structural Changes
To let more natural light in to the house, replace all wooden doors with those of French glass. If it is not possible, you can always paint your door in light contrasting hues to reflect light. The ultimate fix, however, for a dim room is to add more windows or widen the existing ones! The dark wooden floor boards of the room should also be refurbished to lighter tones or covered with light toned area rug. Sky lights can also be installed right between the rafters as an inexpensive but highly effective solution! Reflective tubes that require little more than a good-sized hole in the sheetrock and the roof are another possibility to brighten up your rooms and perk up your days!
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