We could all bear to have a brighter living space. Letting in light, whether natural or manufactured, can do wonders for your psyche thanks to vitamin D, or contribute to an overall more open and welcoming space. The truth is, you can buy all the lamps in the world and your home still does not feel as full of light as you would like. Follow these tips for a brighter home.
20 ideas for a brighter home
So, what should you do when trying to give your space lighter? Whether you take the time to organize your furniture to expand natural lighting or change up your paint and wood options to make your rooms feel a little less dingy, you have options.
Try these 20 easy tricks and make your home look brighter than it has ever been.
Rearrange your furniture
How long has it been since you did a home reorganization? Before you start moving things around, first create a new floor plan focused around the windows, which is the part of your house that will give it the best natural glow. By keeping those spaces open and airy and avoiding blocking them with bulky furniture, your home will instantly look happier.
Choose a basic wall color
With literally millions of paint colors available, painting your walls white can seem a bit boring. But here’s the thing: when it comes down to it, there is no better color to brighten and brighten a room. While other colors can make your space feel more enclosed, swap out white paint, or even update existing white walls with new covering, they instantly make your home feel fresh, airy, and inviting.
Put plants everywhere
It’s amazing how a little greenery adds sparkle to your space. Visit your favorite greenhouse and bring home large, showy plants that you can place throughout your home, whether they be monsteras, birds of paradise, dracaena or fiddle-leaf figs. If you don’t have a taste for green, that’s fine, there are plenty of artificial options available that can brighten up your room, too.
Get light-colored furniture
A dark brown sofa is definitely pretty, but it really turns off any space. Next time you go furniture shopping, choose items that are light in color. You shouldn’t take a chance on whites (wine stains are real) which can get dirty quickly, but creams, beiges, and light grays will do their thing too. And if you’re not up for new items right now, you can always refresh the old with some quality sofa covers, or even light-fabric cushions.
Get lighter curtains
If you are looking for a more illuminated place, using curtains may seem counterproductive, but if you like them, instead of opting for thick curtains that barely let natural light into your home, change them for something lighter in color, and also something that is pleasant and transparent. That way, even when you want some privacy and close the thick curtains, you can let in a little sunlight that brightens up the atmosphere.
Use carpet that imposes light and not only because of the color
When choosing a rug, the safe route is to bring home something that is a light, neutral color that will go with everything. One way to really brighten up a room, however, is to go bold. By choosing a cheery yellow, butterflies, oranges, or even some softer pastels, you’ll instantly add some energy to the space. One rule of thumb, though: just make sure it doesn’t conflict with your other décor or that glitter is the least of your problems.
Turn off the ceiling lights and turn on the lamps
Any light is going to do wonders to illuminate a room, right? Well not so much. While having a ceiling light in the center of the room can make the space feel more enclosed, having lamps positioned correctly will really add a nice glow. Ceiling lights make everything feel drab, heavy, and harsh. Instead, use several smaller lamps in darker parts of the room to create a more open space.
Invest in some metals
Whether it’s gold, silver, copper, or rose gold, adding some metals to your home works in a similar way to how mirrors do. Instead of making your space feel dark and dingy like some materials can do, they will bounce off the light and add a bit of sparkle. Whether with some designer furniture, wall decor, flower pots, or vases, you’ll be amazed at the difference a little shine can make.
Use the mirrors
It may seem a bit selfish to hang mirrors all over your house, but they are not to be looked at. Its main purpose? Light bouncing around space. Even rooms that don’t have a lot of natural sunlight will feel brighter overall due to how much they reflect, adding a touch of unsurpassed brightness to darker corners.
Give the right accessories to your sofa
You don’t have to make big changes to give your home a brighter look and feel. Instead, go to your favorite home goods store and buy a new collection of cushions and blankets for your furniture, be it your sofa or your bed. Leave dark colors behind and go for lighter colored neutrals and pops of metal to make your room shine.
Go ahead with the rattan trend
Rattan furniture has made a big comeback in recent months and is used in everything from indoor hanging chairs to end tables. Since wood has such a light color, adding a few pieces around your house instantly brightens things up. Plus, you’ll give your space a bit of the boho trend while you’re at it.
See by the sails
Buying a handful of candles to place in the living room, bathroom, bedroom, and other spaces that could make a good glow at night is the easiest and best way to brighten things up. They’re also inexpensive – look online for a cheap package.
Open your shelves
Obviously, there are some things you want to keep in the cabinets, but opting for open shelves instead can instantly take your room to the next level. The spacious opening will allow you to display some of your most prized possessions, whether it’s your ever-growing ceramic collection in the kitchen or your most widely read novels in the living room.
Put foliage in your bathroom
Having plants in the main areas of your home will certainly brighten things up, but don’t forget about those dark and drab places that are often overlooked. Bathrooms, especially those without windows, can be difficult to change the overall vibe. There’s a catch, though: adding some low-light plants like pothos (also called Juliet), spider plants, and snake plant is great in darker spaces. And funny enough, they all share creepy names. Coincidence? It is not probable.
Get new bulbs
One little thing that makes a big difference in brightness is the type of bulbs you are using in your home. Instead of looking for spotlights that emit a yellow glow that instantly makes your space look dingy, opt for bright white LED options so that what comes out of your lamps more closely resembles the natural light outside.
Play with string lights of all varieties
String lights aren’t just for Christmas trees. Go for some tiny white lights and use them to give your home a magical glow by placing them above your headboard, on a shelf, or hanging on the wall. And if that sounds too exciting to you, don’t worry: there’s also the option of using firefly string lights that use LEDs, which are so delicate that if it weren’t for the flash, you’d hardly know they’re there.
Embrace negative space
People love to fill their houses with anything and everything they can, but when it comes to getting things out, the best thing is to get them out. Empty space in between or around things creates an interesting visual feature. It’s a great way to create a lighter, more open room. Do all those places that are now empty seem like the perfect place to put something? Leave them empty and let the space be visually peaceful.
Clean your windows
If you don’t even remember the last time you cleaned your windows, you are not alone. Something as simple as giving them a scrub, both inside and out, can seriously change the game when it comes to the amount of light that can pass through them. Instead of all that dirt and grime blocking those rays, they’ll be clearer and better able to brighten up your home.
Don’t use dark woods
While the characteristics of dark wood are undeniably classic and pretty, whether it’s on the kitchen table or seating furniture, the light woods are what really lights up the home. Instead of getting blocked with dark or stained options, opt for pieces made from something lighter, like oak, maple, ash, birch, or hickory.
