Small spaces don’t have to feel cramped, dark or gloomy. Even with the tiniest of spaces there are clever tricks you can pull to open up your living space and welcome more light and brightness into your common areas. It doesn’t require knocking down walls or completely redesigning your home, just a little maneuvering and selective purchasing.
Knowing how to intelligently light your home is an art form in and of itself. Nowadays there are all sorts of affordable, energy-efficient lighting ways to a brighter home, creating a calming ambiance and elegant appeal. Here we’ll discuss design tips to brighten up your home as well as the right lighting for each room in your home.
Easy Life Hacks for a Brighter Home
1. Strategically Hang or Mount Mirrors
Strategically mounting mirrors in just the right places will help catch natural light and make any room feel more spacious and bright. Mirrors are also easy to move around and aren’t permanent pieces, making them the perfect home accent to create the illusion of an expansive space. You can even position track lighting to catch the reflection of the mirror and bounce even more light around your interior space.2. Buy Light Colored Furniture
White and cream furniture is always a great look for any room. It adds a fresh, crisp vibe to your home and gives it the appearance of cleanliness. White furniture also allows you to pair it with just about any artwork. You can add brightly colored and dark throw pillows, blankets, and ottomans for a classic look that is soothing to the eye.3. Wash Windows (Inside & Out)
This may seem like a strange recommendation, but it really works and costs you nothing but a little time and elbow grease. We tend to overlook our windows, but when they become crusted with grime and muck from the weather, it really hinders light from breaking through. Washing your windows both inside and out can bring brightness to your home in unexpected and surprising ways.4. Hang Sheer, White Curtains
Keeping with the theme of clean, white accents, hanging sheer ivory curtains will brighten up any congested space and breathe new air into your home.5. Feng Shui Your Furniture
Maybe Feng Shui is a bit of an extreme term, but simply rearranging your furniture can really make your space feel bigger and brighter. If you have furniture that is pushed up against windows, pull them away from the wall and reconfigure your living room to accommodate as much light as possible.6. Eradicate Clutter
This is a no-brainer. Clutter can really make any space feel cramped. Creating clever storage spaces under furniture is a great way to stow away items that may be creating unneeded clutter. This also presents a great opportunity to purge your home of things you’re simply not using any longer. A clean house, a less cluttered house, creates a brighter and more peaceful space.7. Replace Doors to Open-up Common Areas
If you have a side room that doesn’t require additional privacy like a sunroom or sitting area that is separated by a solid door, try replacing it with glass French doors to open up the common areas and allow more light to shine through. If you need to make the room private, put curtains over the French doors that can be opened when not in use.Creative Interior Lighting Ideas For a Brighter Home
The world of interior lights has evolved immensely over the last decade. Now there are so many options it could make one’s head spin. From dimmer switches to programmable multi-colored LED lighting, the possibilities are endless. It all depends on your style. Here is some inspiration to get you started on creating a bright home environment. Tip #1: Variety – Not all rooms serve the same purpose and will need different varieties of lighting to complement the utility of the space. For example, in the living room, you’d want to install a dimmer switch and warmer toned lighting to offer a more relaxing vibe. For extra light to read, you can buy table lamps to accent the corners of the room and frame the couch. The kitchen, due to it being the heartbeat of the home, will require brighter track lighting and task lighting under the cabinets.
Tip #2: Dimmer Switches – Dimmer switches are our friend. They are relatively easy to install for moderately experienced DIYer or you can opt to call a professional electrician to quickly install dimmer switches throughout your home. This allows you to customize the brightness of every room depending on the time of day and lifestyle needs. Brighten up your kitchen when you’re cooking, lower the lighting when you’re eating. Neat, right?
Tip #3: Recessed vs. Exposed Lighting Options – Recessed lighting has become more affordable over the years due to LED lighting options. As the name suggests, recessed lighting is hidden in the recesses of the wall, overhang, or ceiling. This creates a smooth and clean appearance and is a great solution for smaller homes with lower ceilings.
