Whether you’re looking to brighten up your living room in a big way or you’re just interested in adding a little bit here and there – there are some simple steps you can take to lighten up the room and make your space appear larger and brighter. By using these simple and easy tips as guidelines, you can accomplish a brighter space without doing a total room remodel or spending excess money.
1 – Colors play a major role in the look and feel of your room. Obviously, the lighter the color, the more brightness potential your room will have. Pastel colors are perfect if you’d like to lighten the space and add a bright, airy feel to the room. If you have a lot of natural light coming in, going with a brighter, bolder color could be a good option for you. Pastels combined with a lot of natural lighten can often be washed out, so depending on how many windows or skylights are in the room – you can choose your color intensity based on that. Staying away from dark browns or blues will help your room from feeling constricted.
2 – If you don’t have a lot of natural lighting and changing your wall color isn’t an option – you can add pops of color that will help to instantly brighten up the room. If you have a primarily brown or tan room and you’d like to brighten up the space, one option you can turn to is introducing some gold into the room. Whether it’s gold lighting fixtures, gold accent pieces, or even throw pillows with gold tones in them – gold will help to reflect light, add color to the room, and brighten up the space overall. Good accent colors also include blues, reds, yellows, and greens in brighter tones.
3 – A lot of times a dark carpet or throw rug can bring a room down more than you would think. If you have hardwood floors in the room, either taking away a darker colored throw rug or adding a lighter colored rug can instantly brighten up the space. Hardwood floors themselves do a pretty good job of reflecting light, but if you need a throw rug to prevent against scratches – choosing one that is made up of lighter, brighter colors can help you open up the space overall. If you are considering new carpeting, choosing either a light neutral color or a brighter tone (depending on your wall color) will help give the room some life.
4 – If you do have a lot of windows in the room, thinking about light, airy curtains can help accentuate the windows, as well as allow them to let in more light. Many people choose dark colors for their blinds or curtains and by simply lightening up these hues can make a world of difference. If you have darkly colored blinds or curtains, switching them over to either a white or a complimenting color for the room will allow more light in and accentuate the window area a little bit more.
5 – Overpowering a room with different lighting fixtures will definitely make a room brighter, but it may be too much (especially if your space is small). If you have a decent sized room, you don’t need a lamp on every table, but making sure that you have a device that provides enough light for the room is important. Many small decorative lighting fixtures make great accent pieces, but having those alone in the room aren’t enough to brighten it up when needed. This is especially important if you’re dealing with a den or study area which typically are tucked away and don’t receive a lot of light. By ensuring that the fixtures in your room will provide enough light at any given point during the day, you’ll never struggle with having to work or entertain in a dimly lit area.
By keeping these guidelines in mind, you can brighten up a space by making simple and quick changes. You won’t have to go through a remodeling project or spend an entire paycheck, but you’ll be on your way to a larger looking and brighter living room.