Lightening Up a Dark Room
Lightening Up a Dark Room
With the winter blues hitting hard this season and the clouds locking in place from now through February, we’re determined to keep the dark and sullen rooms at bay – combating the winter sky and low sunlit rooms with ones that are light and airy, as if summer is still around.
Read on for our five most important designer tips and tricks for lightening up rooms in your own home this winter to keep the grey away.
1) Lighten with White – This tried and true trick is as old as they get. White is the only color that reflects light rather than absorb it. Instead, it redirects the light to bounce off its surrounding objects, making everything seem brighter. To lighten up your own home, try painting your walls (and ceiling) in an off white or bright white hue. Greek Villa from Sherwin-Williams is a never fail pick. And if you love a vibrant white look, take the palette further into your furniture choices as well to really create a room that reflects light as much as possible.
2) Mirror Mirror on the Wall – make sure you have mirrors in any space you feel needs a pick me up in the light factor. Strategically place them opposite of windows or reflective surfaces to capture as much natural light as possible. If a big mirror is just too much, try multiple small ones of varying shapes and sizes in a photo wall collage pattern.
3) Make use of Lamps – In our designs, we love to add varying types of lamps into the floor print to capitalize on as much light as possible. For your own space, add a lamp to every dark corner and if possible, connect it to the light switches in your house so you actually use it. Vary your choices between table lamps, floor lamps, and wall mounted options. We recommend using them on buffet and consoles tables, entryway tables, and wedge or side tables. Similar to lamps, if you illuminate the walls, the room will feel more welcoming and bright. Classic designs often use wall sconces to help with this.
4) Offset with Dark – Part of lightening up a room has to also do with accentuating the whites you already have. One of the best ways to do this is to add in dark, counter-intuitive hues like navy or black so the surrounding whites around these objects will seem brighter and more intense. Choose to use your darks in accenting pieces like vases, throw pillows or wall art.
5) Reflective Surfaces – Much like the mirror tip above, a tried and true method to brighten a space is to add in reflective surfaces in the room design. Use clear glass vases and candlesticks or use an old window in lieu of a photo wall. For storage options, follow the clear containing rule as the light will flow through the containers rather than stop at them. We also love glass surfaces on furniture positioned directly across from a natural light window. Many manufactures make pieces that are reflective in style and serve this very purpose.
Incorporate a few of these tips into your own home this winter to keep those grays away. Any one of these tips will help brighten your space. And if you need more guidance this season, give us a ring. We’d love to help you lighten up your own homes for a more energetic feel.
Photos courtesy of Vanguard Furniture
