Dark room ideas: How to brighten a dark room

Light can bring depth, ambience and comfort to any room. Brighter rooms can lend to a plethora of innovative design ideas and tend to liven the mood among house members. However, many homeowners worry that they’ll need to add windows, light fixtures or other intrusive methods of light to their dark rooms to get an ounce of extra light.

Don’t fret. There are ways to brighten a dark room without cutting spaces for windows, installing large and cumbersome fixtures or repainting your walls.

Here are three dark room ideas that will brighten your living space with minimal effort:

Reflecting light

Mirrors are an excellent way to move light around a room. Placing them near windows with ample natural exposure will reflect light around a room by using surfaces such as walls, tables, ceilings, flooring and the mirror itself to evenly distribute that light in a dark room.

You don’t necessarily need a standing mirror or large accent mirrors, either. In fact, a small accent mirror or cluster of mirrors adorning a wall will reflect light just as well as, if not better than, a larger mirror. They’ll also act as an exceptional accent piece for your home’s decor.

Layering light

Another exceptional way to lighten a dark and dreary room is with lighting layers. Utilize overhead lighting, floor or table lamps and task lights to make your dark room feel more inviting and efficient. If your overhead lighting is a bit harsh, try switching out the bulbs for something with a softer, warmer glow.

Use brighter daylight bulbs as task lighting to help accent the room’s features and give you a place to enjoy hobbies, read or just have an extra twinkle in your living area.

Ambient lighting can be achieved by placing lamps strategically throughout the room with lower-brightness bulbs.

Accenting with furniture

Another way to make a room feel brighter is by utilizing your sofa, chairs, tables and other light furniture. The light furniture catches the light, much like light wood flooring or white walls, and gently ties it into the rest of the living space within the room’s walls, making a dark room brighter.

Be sure to use neutrals, light shades and avoid deep pops of color, since these can bring the brightness of the room down.