Interior Décor & Painting, Ottawa, ON: Tips to Light up A Dark Room

Everyone loves the natural light in a well-lit, airy room.

However, not all homes in Ottawa, Ontario are lucky enough to get a sufficient supply of natural light in all the rooms.

Fortunately, with a few design and decoration tips, you can allow a little more light into your dark room, or at least make it seem brighter somehow.

In this article, we share tips on how to brighten up your room in Ottawa, Ontario.

6 Ways to Improve Lighting in Your Dark Rooms

1. Use Mirrors

As you have probably already heard, mirrors reflect light inside a room and create the illusion of a larger and brighter space, regardless of its size.
This old tip has been tested and proven and we suggest you use it if you have a window in the room.

Hang a large mirror on the wall directly opposite the window in these dark spaces and this will allow the light to reflect and enlarge the space.
If you don’t like the idea of adding a large mirror into the space, try putting a few smaller ones and create an attractive design on your wall or any type of reflective surface.

2. Check your lighting

Other than changing your bulbs, removing dust from your light fixtures could also improve the lighting in your room.

So remember to give these fixtures good dusting from time to time.
If you have recessed lighting in one of the darkest rooms in your house, consider installing LED versions, as this will light up the space while keeping your lighting bills low.

3. Minimalism

Adopting a minimalist decor is a clever way to open and light up a dark space.
Excessively crowded space will intensify an already dark room.

Remove clutter from your room every few months and organize the house so that each item in the room has an assigned location.

4. Paint White

Painting a room white is a tried and tested method to brighten up dark spaces.
However, it is important to choose the right shade of white for the impact to be significant.

Do a little research to determine which shades work better for your space, especially as part of your decor.
We also recommend painting your ceiling in white, mildly glossy paint.

Solid wooden beams or a dark ceiling can make a room appear smaller or darker. Therefore, painting one or the other in white will help to enlarge the space visually.
If you are really in love with dark colors, limit their use to creating accents and not on entire walls.

5. Install Open Shelves

Open, clean cabinets will be a great way to visually expand the space.
Rather than dark or heavy cabinets that might seem too massive or excessive in places lacking in light, open cabinets will allow more light in your space.

Keep things to a minimum, highlighting decorative items or glasses. If you need storage but want to avoid visual clutter, consider incorporating colored baskets.

6. Keep Window Dressing Light

As we mentioned, natural light is the key to visually enlarging a dark room.
However, even if you have large windows, it is important to dress them properly.

Avoid using heavy or dark curtains that will block this natural light, even in the bedroom. Instead, consider more minimalist options like Roman blinds or a less opaque curtain.

The Bottom Line

If you have a smaller, poorly lit room that you want to brighten up, you don’t have to tear down the walls.
Consider the above ideas to make your room brighter and visually larger without spending too much.

If you need help repainting your home’s interior to brighten it up and make it a little airier, our team at Millers Painting Company would be glad to help.

We offer free color consultancy alongside high-quality residential and commercial painting services in Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven and Westboro areas of Ottawa, Ontario.

To get started with us, book a FREE estimate or call us on 613-979-5435.

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