5th May 2015
Anyone who has ever owned a house (or even a flat) will know that sometimes it can feel rather dark and dingy, without even meaning to. After time collecting things and moving home you end up with a house that is full of belongings with little to no light in various rooms. Just creating more light can really help to make a room look more attractive and inviting. Your eyes take in light to see, if there is no light then it will be harder to full see the room in all its glory. Don’t let your home become a dungeon, make your home more homely and bright with these simple tips.
Light Colours On The Walls
First and foremost you need to make sure that the largest surface areas in the room (AKA the walls) are of a light colour. If you paint the walls dark blue, you’re going to have to expect the room to be very dark generally. Light reflects most off of light surfaces such as white, the paler the colour the better. Many will use light pastel colours in their rooms as they are a way to add colour without taking away the ability to reflect light. Just this simple change can really boost a room, should you wish to use a bright colour we would suggest having a feature wall that is already away from the light. Doing this means that you’re using as much surface area as possible to reflect light off the walls.
Reflective Surfaces
It’s not just light walls that can reflect, furniture can too. Matt finished surfaces don’t reflect light very well, however much shinier surfaces do. Make sure your furniture is fairly shiny and you’ll see light reflected all over the place. You don’t even have to stick to pale colours, just the shine is enough to bounce light (even if it’s shiny black). It would also be good to add in a medium to large mirror into the room. Not just to look at yourself, but having a mirror opposite a window can help to bounce light all around the room rather against one wall. Glass is also fairly reflective, so having framed pictures can also contribute to adding light into the room.
Keeping Furniture Minimal
If you keep the room full of objects and things that aren’t totally reflective then it’s all going to absorb any light that comes into the room. Keeping furniture to a minimum can really help as there is less in the room to block the light. You don’t have to wind it down to just a bed and a wardrobe or just a sofa and television, but just try and keep things stored away as much as possible. Try to refrain from putting anything near, under or around the windows in the room, keep them 100% clear so that all available light shoots into the room.
Lamps/Additional Lights
If all else fails and you’re still struggling to add extra light into the room then you should think about investing in some lamps or up-lighters. Even adding 1 source of light into the room can really help, with up-lighters you can bounce light off of the ceiling (something which is usually white in colour). We would suggest avoiding open flames unless you have a fireplace as a source of light. We want to offer solutions that work long term without costing a lot, using fireplaces or candles cost money over time whereas a lamp is a one time cost.
Lofts of all places are some of the hardest to create light from, but it’s definitely possible! We can help you to gain a light space in your loft without lots of additional costs, just visit our loft conversions page for mote information.
5th May 2015
