Many factors affect the way a room feels, and how you feel when you're in it. One of the most significant factors is how well-lit and bright the space feels. More light and brightness generally makes a room livelier and happier, and even makes it seem more spacious. So, here are some tips to make a room feel brighter and cheerier, so that you, your family, and your guests will be the same.
How to Brighten Up a Room
- Use light fixtures that give off ambient light, rather than focused spotlights.
- Don't block any of the windows with furniture or décor items, or obstruct them as minimally as possible if you're short on wall space.
- Keep the blinds, curtains, drapes, or shades open.
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Mount a mirror on the wall where it reflects natural light (or artificial light if that's easier in the space). It'll even make the room feel bigger.
- Clean your windows regularly—inside and out—to maximize the bright light that comes in from outside.
- Trim foliage outside if it's preventing sunlight from getting in through the window.
- Paint the walls a bright, light color.
- Replace darker-colored furnishings and décor with paler, brighter colors.
- Give older, dull-looking furniture a coat of fresh paint.
- Use sunny color like red, orange, or yellow as accent colors in the room.
- Add some shiny metallic elements to the room's décor.
- Place live plants in the room to create a brighter, cheerier, more natural atmosphere.
- And, for one of the less obvious tips to make a room feel brighter and cheerier, don't let the room get cluttered, as this creates a darker, more closed in, more chaotic, more stressful environment.
