A room with poor lighting would be perfect…for a found footage horror movie. So, unless you have a thing for shabby, ghoulish-looking interiors, you got to make sure your living space has adequate lighting.
As someone living in an apartment with a windowless living room, I understand the challenges one might face when the busiest area of the house gets minimal lighting during daytime.
Good news is that with a couple of tweaks, you can make your dimly lit space appear noticeably brighter, cozier and welcoming.
Below I have discussed a few awesome and budget-friendly ways to brighten up areas of your home that do not receive much natural light. Here we go –
5 Simple Ways to Brighten up a Room with Little to No Sunlight
1. Choose Your Paint Wisely
Painting your walls white won’t magically make your dimly lit space appear bright and airy. White walls can make a room appear brighter only in the presence of lots of natural light.
Therefore, avoid all white as well as dark shades for walls as they might worsen the problem.
To maximize the lighting effect in areas of your house that do not receive enough sunlight, choose a light blue color or grey for the walls while keeping the ceiling white. If you want warmer shades, choose a bright shade of yellow.
As for the finish, avoid matte finish because it will absorb the light instead of reflecting it. Choose between satin or eggshell finish for optimal light reflection.
2. Light-colored Flooring
When you have a spot in your place that looks too dull and drab due to the lack of natural lighting, the choice of flooring can make a huge impact.
As a rule of thumb, you should go with light-colored flooring as it will make the area look more open, warm and inviting. I’d suggest a light shade of tile, laminate, or vinyl flooring if you are on a budget.
Ivory, beige, tan, grey colored flooring can glam up your gloomy interiors with a touch of sophistication. Go with pine or oak wood flooring if you want a more traditional, rustic look.
If you don’t have the option to change your flooring, no worries. You can always put a carpet or rug on your floor to create a sense of a bright and open environment. Any pale shade of floor covering will do the trick
3. Layered Lighting
Another obvious solution for a room that gets little to no sunlight is recreating natural lighting with different lighting fixtures.
Invest in a dimmable smart bulb that can go from a cool shade of blue to mimic natural daylight to warm yellow hues to replicate the hues of sunset.
Create another layer of light with overhead fixtures which would evenly distribute the light across the room.
Use a bright floor lamp to illuminate the awkward corners and as mentioned in the previous point, strategically place your mirrors to amplify the lighting effect.
4.Use Mirrors to Your Advantage
Strategic placement of mirrors to create the illusion of a bright space and lively atmosphere is one of the oldest tricks in the book of interior designers.
By placing an oversized mirror directly across a window, if there’s any, you can amplify the limited amount of light your room receives.
For a windowless room, pair up the mirror with a source of light, such as a floor lamp, to achieve the same effect. Place the mirror in front of the light source for maximum brightening effect.
Alternatively, you can deck up your wall with a bunch of different sized, decorative mirrors to bring some depth, character, and of course, lots of brightness to the interior.
5. Make Room for Light Furniture
White furniture and accidental spills are a match made in heaven, which is precisely why a lot of people avoid them.
However, light shade furniture like an ivory/beige couch, cabinet, or desk can do wonders for your dark, dreary space.
White bounces off the light, making the interior seem more open and airy. You don’t necessarily have to decorate the entire room with white furniture, just a few items on an ivory to beige color palette can instantly brighten up your living space.
In Conclusion
Having a windowless room or a spot that doesn’t get much natural light due to awkward placement of windows is a nuisance no one wants to deal with.
But if you do find yourself in a situation like this, you can easily turn your dull room into a bright, wark, and welcoming space using the few simple, fail-safe tricks mentioned above.
