We aren’t all fortunate enough to have rooms which are light, bright and airy and this isn’t because the rooms are decorated in dark colours – sometimes natural light struggles to provide enough illumination, for example in north facing rooms and other restrictions such as renting a property can also mean that our homes can look dark and sombre. However, help is on the horizon and we’re going to share tips with you suggesting ways to brighten even the darkest of rooms.
1. Dark flooring can easily be brighten-up using cheap rugs. Using rugs is far more cost effective way to brighten a floor than replacing carpets of re-staining wooden floors lighter; and of course if you live in a rented house you won’t want to pay out more than you have to.
2. It sound too obvious to worth mentioning, however, using light colours on your walls can help to make a room lighter. You don’t have to opt for white or paint, wallpapers which have a pale background can work equally as well as plain painted walls. If you love bold colours restrict this to one wall only.
3. Include reflective surfaces to help move natural light around the room. Mirrors are the first choice, along with polished metals, wallpapers and furnishing fabrics which have a sheen to their surface.
4. Highlight windows by choosing a window dressing which doesn’t restrict any natural light. Cheap curtains made from lightweight fabrics such as voiles are brilliant at making rooms feel light and airy. If you have wooden blinds you could paint them in a pale colour or if you prefer to keep the wood try angling the slats slightly upwards so that light entering the room is directed onto the ceiling and bounces back down into the room. (make sure the ceiling is painted with a satin finish rather than matte).
5. If you’ve got lots of dark wood in your living room try lightening it up by using white curtains and white Venetian blinds – the combination of blinds and curtains will sit comfortably next to each other to provide a modern window dressing which can be used throughout your home.
6. In bedrooms choose light coloured duvet cover sets; white bedding not only looks fresh and clean it can also make your bed seem less intrusive and dominant. Again use rugs and white curtains to bring the room together harmoniously.
