7 hacks to brighten a dark room – without painting it
Now that Christmas is over, the long, dark nights seem never-ending. While that’s bad enough, if your home lacks windows, it can feel like most of the day is spent in darkness. Even when the sun’s shining, a room can feel dim and depressing without enough light.
If this sounds familiar, the good news is there are easy ways to introduce more light into your room, and it doesn’t have to involve a fresh lick of paint. Small changes in the layout, a few affordable additions and some everyday housework can make all the difference. Want to know more? Here, we shine a light on the quick changes you can make to brighten up a room.
1. Add mirrors
Our first piece of advice sounds obvious, but it is important. Mirrors reflect the light, so by placing one in the room opposite where the light enters, it can bounce it back into the space, brightening it in the process.
With that in mind, think about the angle at which you direct the mirror. If you can aim it across the room, rather than directly back out the window, you’ll boost the effect. You could even direct it towards another mirror to reflect the light more. A standing mirror will give you more control, but even a wall mirror will help.
Don’t forget to keep your mirrors clean – otherwise the dust will block the light. Wipe with a microfibre cloth and a solution of diluted distilled white vinegar (one part vinegar to nine parts water).
2. Clean the windows
Following on from this, it’s important to keep your windows clean. Dust can take its toll here, too, but grime and watermarks on the outside will also obstruct the light.
Clean your windows on a clear but not too hot day for the best view of the glass. The same solution of distilled white vinegar can be used here; you might have to leave it on for a couple of minutes if you’re dealing with watermarks. Or you could use a glass cleaner. Wipe in a circular motion with a microfibre cloth designed for glass, such as the E-Cloth Window Cleaning Cloth and Glass Cleaning Cloth, working your way from top to bottom. Then buff with chamois leather – or you can use a window vacuum to dry them streak-free.
If you’re dealing with the exterior of a window that’s high up and you can’t easily access it, it’s best to hire a professional to help.
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3. Move obstructive furniture out of the way
Next, look at the layout of the room. If there are any large pieces of furniture directly in front of or close to the window, these need to move. Otherwise they’ll block the already limited light.
It’s worth considering if you still use these items of furniture. If they’re just taking up space, you might be better off selling or donating them, or perhaps just moving them to another room.
Bulky items of furniture may offer additional storage space, but take up more room as a consequence. Minimalist furniture allows more light into the room, but doesn’t offer so much storage. Assess your furniture (and clutter) and decide if any bulky items can be traded to take up less space, or just removed.
It’s a good idea to declutter the room you’re looking to add more light to. Clutter takes up valuable space, whether stored away or on show. And when a room is busy and full, it appears darker, without so much light hitting the floors and walls. Removing any clutter gives you more opportunity to downsize bulky furniture, too.
4. Swap out your bulbs
It gets dark early at this time of year; there’s no getting around that. But you can potentially improve the light bulbs you’re using to better brighten your room once the sun goes down. It’s worth switching over to LED bulbs if you haven’t already. These can last from 25 to 30 years and use about 90% less energy compared with incandescent bulbs.
If you’ve already switched, it’s worth checking out the lumens (brightness) of what you’re currently using, as well as the kelvins (colour). By upgrading, you could find a better light output, while improving the colour from cool to warm – or vice versa.
The lumens required will depend on the size and type of room you’re trying to brighten. According to Tom Hams from B&Q, kitchens generally work best with 6,000 to 10,000lm (for the whole room), while bathrooms need 5,000 to 8,000lm and bedrooms and living rooms are better with 2,000 to 4,000lm.
In terms of colour, it’s best to stick to 2,700K if you're after a warm colour, similar to incandescent bulbs. A lower reading will increase the warmth, while going higher will make things cooler. Cooler lighting is brighter and generally better for areas where you need to focus on a task, such as cooking, but it can be considered harsh, so you need a balance of the two. The decision comes down to your own personal taste.
Don’t forget to carefully dust your bulbs (while switched off and removed) with a dry microfibre cloth for the best light output.
5. Switch out your curtains
While thick blackout curtains are fantastic for keeping the heat in, they will naturally block out some of the sun during the day. It might be worth installing curtain holdbacks to keep them fully open. Alternatively, you could swap them for a more lightweight, sheer summer option once things heat up a bit. The best smart curtains could help to automate when they open and close.
You could even get rid of your curtains completely, should you choose, and opt for blinds instead. This allows much more light into the room and gives more space around the window.
6. Trim back foliage
A pretty view of plants is one thing, but if foliage has overgrown right outside your window, that’s not helping. Cut back obstructive growth with a pair of secateurs (cut the stem diagonally to prevent disease), or move the plant once things warm up and it’s safe to do so.
Indoor plants need access to a light source, but placing them on a windowsill directly in front of a window might not be best. Some are better off in bright but indirect sunlight (the sun can scorch the leaves), so moving them might actually improve their health while increasing the light in your room at the same time. Check the sunlight requirements of your plant to find out the best placement.
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7. Don’t forget the lampshade
A lampshade is more often considered a decorative item, but they can have a huge impact on the brightness of a room. I once spent a lot of money on a colourful design only to end up removing it because it made the room so dim.
Some lampshade designs are larger and thicker than others, and the shape will also influence the direction of the light. Paper lampshades can surround the bulb entirely, but being made of paper, enough light passes through to brighten the room.
If you’re trying to brighten a dark room, a thinner, more open lampshade design might be best. You also need to keep it clean and dust-free to allow as much light to pass through as possible. A lint roller can help with this, but don’t use it on paper shades. A pair of old tights, cut off at the knees and stretched over the hands, or a microfibre cloth, are best here.
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