5 Ways To Brighten Up A Dark Room

No matter what type of home you live in, there will be some parts of your space that don't get as much sunlight as the others. That's no fun especially if you like decorating spaces—there's no point to beautiful styling when you can't see it properly. To help you out, interior designer Vera Villarosa-Orila offers quick solutions for dark spaces or homes with limited windows: 

1. Simulate natural light. 

"Halogen bulbs can simulate natural light but are not as energy-efficient as CFL or LED lights. The proper placement of lighting fixtures that create balanced lighting can approximate natural light as well." 

2. Go light in palette, but add color accents. 

Light neutral colors always work best in dark spaces. "This is true in most cases because light colors reflect more light. But if you're working with a space that doesn't have enough lighting to begin with, you may want to reconsider. Light, neutral colors may appear shadowy when applied to dark spaces so it's best to just use a little color—nothing too saturated." 

3. Minimize window treatments. 

"Don't darken a room even further with fussy curtains and heavy drapes. Leave the small windows as they are, or add simple roller blinds for privacy." 

4. Hang up mirrors. 

Not only will they make your space look bigger, it can reflect and diffuse whatever natural light comes into your room making it brighter and more open. 

5. Concentrate on task lighting.

Make sure every nook and cranny of your home is well-lit—be that by lamps or wall lights. This will make up for the lack of natural light when you're going through your routine. 

A part of this material is based on the snippet that appeared in the May 2017 issue of Real Living Magazine. Main photo by Decoist.