Tricks for Making a Dark Room Brighter Home is the place where you should feel happy, relaxed and free. However, sometimes your home can make you feel sad and depressed. There can be several reasons for that, including small confined spaces, clutter and, of course, poor lighting. There is a strong relationship between darkness and depression, and several scientific studies pointed out that when you are not receiving enough light, your mood becomes worse. If you are not willing to allow your room to make you feel sad, you should do your best to make it brighter. Here are several ways you can make that happen.

Opt for light colors

One way to beat the darkness is by adding light. If your room doesn’t have enough natural light, you should do your best to make it brighter by choosing white or neutral hues. You can make your room reflect more light by opting for glossy instead of matte paint colors.

Limit the use of accent colors

A neutral palette is usually enriched with accent hues. However, you shouldn’t go crazy with too many different conspicuous colors. Choose one or two shades and incorporate them through details, like accessories and smaller furniture pieces. A great way to add accent without going overboard with colors is to use metallic shades.

Introduce more natural light

If you can, let more natural light in. Up-sizing your windows may seem too extreme and expensive, but it is very rewarding. Also, if there is anything blocking the sun (e.g. a large tree), try to get rid of it (trimming). Installing skylights is never a bad idea, either.

Layer the lighting

If you think a single overhead bulb is enough to light up an entire room (regardless of its size), you couldn’t be more wrong. Positioning several perimeter lights around the room will make the space look more natural and pleasant.

Change your light bulbs

The amount of light sources in a room isn’t the only thing defining the brightness; the type of sources plays an important role as well. Besides making the room look darker, incandescent light bulbs are never-ending energy hogs. Switching to LED lighting solutions will benefit both your room and your electricity bill.

Use mirrors

Mirrors are reflective objects which means they instantly increase the amount of light in a room. If you want to get the most of them, you should position them on the opposite side of light sources (light bulbs, windows, lamps…). You can use several smaller mirrors or opt for placing a large one across an entire wall. Also, think about combining mirrors with shiny metal frames that will help reflect the light and illuminate the room even further.

Get rid of bulky furniture

A big boxy coffee table and a sofa that shows no legs are not your dark room’s best friends. In fact, they are adding significant visual weight to the space, making it appear darker and even more cluttered. Lighter tones, exposed legs, open shelving and acrylic furniture will make the room appear bigger and brighter. Built-in features, such as niche shelves and walk-in closets can be very helpful. Manufacturers of wardrobe doors in Brisbane often combine the mirror effect with space-saving walk-in features to get as much room and light as possible.

Go for minimalism

Did you know that one of the most popular interior design movements of today is Japandi, a blend of Asian and Scandinavian decor, both of which are characterized by minimalism? Embrace this trend, and purge the clutter, organize your space with multi-functional furniture and minimalist accessories. You will eliminate the cave-like feeling dark rooms usually reflect and make it visually lighter.

When knocking down walls isn’t an option, these eight solutions can be just what you need to increase the amount of light in your dark room, and make it a source of happiness and positive mood.