7 Tips For Brightening Up A Living Room

Your living room is likely a place where you spend a lot of time, whether you are relaxing or taking care of household tasks. This is why it’s important for this space to give off a good energy and feel light and airy, instead of stuffy and drab. If you’ve got your work cut out for you when it comes to making your room brighter, here are seven easy ideas you can put into action now.

Give the walls a makeover. If you want to brighten up your living room, this is the perfect place to start. Just giving it a fresh coat of paint in a bright colour can make a big difference. While many home renovators will opt for white, you can also mix it up by combining it with a bright yellow, green or blue. An accent wall is an easy way to achieve this, and it also serves to open up the room.

Use reflective surfaces. Instead of getting carpet, try installing tile or bleached hardwood with a glossy finish on the floor. This kind of reflective surface will make the light “bounce”, creating more of it instead of simply absorbing it.

Choose your window treatments wisely. When it comes to window treatments in previously drab rooms, remember to keep them light-coloured and to choose them in a sheer fabric. Choose curtains or blinds that simply obscure the view from the outside to give you more privacy, instead of blacking out the room. And if your room has a low ceiling, install floor-to-ceiling curtains to make it seem higher.

Don’t forget about the ceiling. Speaking of the ceiling, don’t forget to paint it, too. Transform depressing brown or dark-hued ceilings with white or off-white paint to further open up the space and give the illusion that it’s higher and wider than it actually is.

Make windows more accessible. Consider sliding windows or glass doors if you have the setup for them. And remember not to choose window treatments so cumbersome or difficult to open that they deter you from letting light in during the day.

Use multi-dimensional lighting. For times when you just can’t get enough natural light in the room, consider installing lighting at several levels. Ceiling light fixtures should amplify light instead of obscuring it. And instead plenty of floor or table lamps to give you more lighting options.

Bring in furniture that accents. One more easy way to make the living room look brighter is to choose furniture that “pops” instead of opting for neutral tones. Consider a red or yellow sofa with matching cushion covers, for example. Just make sure you are pulling from colours already present in the room; artwork serves as an excellent source of inspiration when choosing accent furniture.

Sonita works as an interior designer and really enjoys the challenge of working within a small budget.