Natural light has many health benefits, including boosting our mood and raising Vitamin D levels. Unfortunately, not every home is designed to let in as much light as possible, and on cloudy days, or during the dark, autumn and winter months, many people find that their homes can feel dark, dreary and even claustrophobic. If this sounds familiar, these 7 tips for brightening your home can help you bring a bit of sunshine indoors.
Adding mirrors to a room helps to reflect light and makes the space appear larger. Other shiny surfaces such as glass coffee tables or metallic picture frames can also help. Before hanging your mirror, think about optimum placement. A collection of small mirrors can help open out a narrow space, creating an illusion of depth, and a large, oversize mirror opposite a window will reflect natural daylight back into the room.
2. Paint it!
Darker coloured walls absorb light, which can help cold rooms feel warmer but won’t help your home to feel brighter. Lightening walls and ceilings with white or light-coloured paint or wallpaper can brighten up the room and a fresh lick of white kitchen paint will help make the space feel larger too.
3. Declutter
Too much clutter will darken a space, making it feel dim and overcrowded. Pare back ornaments and decorations or replace them with shinier alternatives, paying particular attention to areas such as windowsills and shelves that are eye-level or higher.
4. Lighten furniture
Light-coloured furniture and soft furnishings will make a room feel lighter and airier so avoid dark woods, such as mahogany and choose birch or ash instead. You can also upcycle old, bulky furniture and repaint it in paler shades to make it seem less oppressive. Choose your curtains or blinds carefully, avoiding dark, heavy fabrics and when you draw your curtains back, pull them all the way, beyond the edge of the window frame to allow light in.
5. Switch to a bright white bulb
Be sure to choose the right lightbulbs for your home. Lightbulbs with a higher Kelvin (K) rating will bring your indoor lighting closer to natural daylight and can make all the difference to how light or dark a room feels. Bright white bulbs will make a small space feel more vibrant and less dingy.
6. Lighten up the floors
Ensuring you have light-coloured walls and furnishings is great but so many people forget about the floors in their homes. Switching carpets or wood flooring to a lighter shade isn’t always an option, particularly if you live in rented accommodation or are on a tight budget but a quick fix is to throw down a light-coloured rug to brighten the place up instantly.
7. Don’t obstruct the windows
It may sound obvious but you’d be surprised how many people place bulky furniture in front of windows or display tall decorative items on windowsills, blocking out essential natural light. Make sure you’re not working against yourself, and keep windows clear so as much natural light as possible can filter into your home.
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Clare
Hi, I'm Clare (Emmy's Mummy). A former Nanny and Mother of 2 - Emmy (born February 2010) and Harry (born October 2012). We are Essex based and share our adventures and misadventures of a busy crazy life.
