We don’t always win the lottery when it comes to natural light in our homes or rented apartments. Sometimes, we end up with rooms in the home that get a limited amount of light throughout the day, which then seem cramped and dark. How do you solve this problem? Through smart and thoughtful home decoration, of course!
If you’re struggling with dark spaces in your home, here are 6 ways you can instantly transform any space into a bright and open room. Read on to find out how strategic lighting and concrete resurfacing contractors can instantly transform any room!
#1 Get creative with lighting
When you’re faced with a dark room, it can often be our first instinct to flood the room with lights. But instead of overwhelming a room with artificial light, it might be a better solution to be strategic and creative about lighting. For example, instead of choosing an overly bright lightbulb for the ceiling which can make the room look cold, choosing a normal ceiling light and adding another light source like a floor lamp can achieve the same level of brightness without concentrating it all in one place.
#2 Use white wherever you can
As you can imagine, choosing light and bright colors is often the better choice when decorating a dark room. Light will naturally reflect off colors like white, and that can create a room that appears brighter than it actually is. We don’t recommend using white for everything in the room, but we do suggest you choose white where you can. In artwork, paint, soft furnishings, or even tables and chairs, white can create a pop of light in any dark space.
#3 Use your flooring as a way to brighten up a dark space
Flooring makes up a large portion of the room and it can often dictate how we interpret the space, too. When there are dark floors, we can think of the room as small and warm. But with bright and light floors, our brain can often interpret the room they’re in as bigger and brighter. If you’re renting, it is unlikely you cannot change your dark floors, but we recommend layering a bright and colorful rug on top to add brightness. But if you own the home you’re in, we recommend contacting a concrete resurfacing contractor to apply a new concrete flooring that you can decorate duly without the cost of ripping out and replacing your floors.
#4 Introduce contrast with black accents
It may seem counterintuitive to use black in a space that already seems dark, but shade and highlight are important in creating a balanced space. Using black in decorations like vases, artwork, and cushions can work to highlight all the brightness you have already achieved in your room.
#5 Choose blond woods
We all love wood furnishing. But when it comes to darker spaces, stay far away from dark woods like mahogany and oak, which will only further accentuate the warmth and darkness of a room. Instead, choose a wood similar to ash which not only adds a great natural element but also brightens your furnishing.
#6 Open up any source of sunlight you have
If you have any source of natural light in a room, no matter how small the window may be, don’t even think about covering it up! Maximize whatever natural light is available by opening up the space around your windows and painting it white to draw even more attention to it. Artificial light is a modern miracle, but there is nothing quite like real sunlight.
