The fastest way to brighten up a room is with a fresh coat of paint. Now, many might think painting a dark room white is the answer, but actually, white is not the most reflective choice nor does it have a lot of character. Light blues, greens and butter yellows will reflect natural light better than plain white and will give your room a personality. Offset these cheery colours with cream trim and doors.
Dark flooring can drag a room into the doldrums. If replacing the floor is not an option then purchase a large area rug in lighter, more neutral tones and soft patterns. This will instantly lift a dark room.
Dark upholstery on furniture tends to eat up natural light because it does not reflect any light. Opt for furniture slipcovers in a light, summery colour like soft tan or taupe to instantly brighten and lift a dark room. Co-ordinate the colours with the area carpet mentioned above and your living room will have a new summer look in no time.
Heavy, dark window treatments can make a room appear smaller and darker because, again, dark fabric does not have any reflective qualities. As well, dark draperies covering up the natural sunlight coming through the window will keep your room dim and shady. Switch out heavy winter draperies for lighter treatments that allow natural light to filter through into the space.
Remove the window treatments altogether if privacy is not an issue. The more natural light you can let into a room, the cheerier it will be. Perhaps a café curtain or a simple topper would be a good go-between choice if having no window treatments seems too bare.
Mirrors always help a room seem brighter and larger because they reflect the light and also reflect the interior of the room. Restaurants use entire walls of mirrors to visually double their space and you can do the same. An entire wall of mirrors might be overdoing it in your home but adding even one large mirror in the right spot will visually open up a room. Smaller mirrors can help brighten smaller space like a foyer, powder room or dim hallway.
If your wood furniture is dark and dated, consider painting it in a fresh, light colour. Replace the hardware while you're at it to complete the transformation. You could revamp your dated dining or kitchen table, dresser or even the bathroom vanity simply by painting it in a lighter colour.
If painting your dark furniture is not an option then use light-coloured table runners or table cloths on the larger pieces to lighten up their dark surfaces.
Instantly brighten a dim entryway by painting the interior of the entry door in a light colour like white, cream or grey. A dark door in a small area like a vestibule will visually absorb any light coming into the space. Lighten up the door and you'll brighten up the entrance to your home.
This might sound silly but clean your light fixtures and light bulbs! Dusty ceiling shades and dirty light bulbs will definitely limit the amount of light coming into the room.
Add more lighting if the room seems dim, especially during the evening. A few more table or accent lamps in a living room or bedroom might be all you need to keep the gloom away.
If your single ceiling fixture just isn't cutting it, replace it with one that will provide more light throughout the space. Track-style lighting will give you the option of aiming each fixture where the most light is needed. There are tons of great options so talk to your lighting dealer for assistance.
Large, dark wall units and bookshelves can eat up visual space and again, make a room appear darker than need be. Paint them out to match your light wall colour. This will make them blend into the wall rather than having them be the centre of attention.
Flowers always brighten up a room, so treat yourself to a colourful bouquet to bring instant cheer to any space.
Switch out dark, formal paintings for wall art that has lighter tones and themes.
Keep your home summery and breezy and you'll feel refreshed and uplifted for years to come.
Paint dark brick surfaces in a whitewash paint effect to create a distressed finish that will be edgy but not dated.
Definitely paint out dark panelling in a soft, sand colour to bring a beach feel to a dark den or rec room. Don't worry if the panelling has ridges in it. Paint right over the ridges to create the look of bead board.
In the rec room or basement, replace the ceiling tiles if you have a drop ceiling that is dingy and stained. You can also try painting the panels but new ones would be a better choice.
Keep your ceiling colour lighter than your wall colour when repainting a space. Colour that wraps around a room and onto the ceiling can tend to make a space feel dim and appear a lot smaller than it really is. You don't have to paint the ceiling in traditional white but keep the tone lighter than the wall colour. I saw a great bedroom in a magazine a while back that had soft blue walls with a pale butter yellow ceiling. The accents of navy and white made this room very cheery and breezy feeling. The hint of colour on the ceiling gave the room tons of character.
