Do you find that being at home gets you down? Do you feel low energy and unmotivated in your living space? You may need to add more light!
Brightening up your home can improve your mood and make your space feel new. In the winter, when darkness descends before dinnertime, you should make use of all the light you can get.
If you’re interested in brightening up your home decoration, keep reading. We’ll give you 6 home decor ideas for adding light to your space.
1. Upgrade Your Light Sources
If you don’t have enough natural light in your home don’t worry. There are a couple of ways to make the artificial lighting in your home look more natural.
One way to do this is to place your light sources as high up as possible. When your light is coming down on you from above, it mimics the way light comes in through your windows from the sun in the sky.
Another way to make the light in your apartment look more natural is to pay close attention to what color the light is.
Neon-tinted lights (a trend made popular recently by TikTok) are adorable, but they will make any room look like a nightclub. For a naturally bright look, stick to white and yellow light.
A good rule of thumb for natural lighting is to get a soft white or light yellow light. Anything that is too far in either direction will look unnatural.
2. Invite More Natural Light In
No matter how many windows you have or how well placed they are, you can make them work for you. To let in the maximum amount of natural light, make sure you choose the right curtains.
Lightweight, light-colored curtains let in the best natural light. If you prefer to totally block out light while you sleep, you can go with light-colored blinds that you can adjust during the day.
Set up your space so that the windows you have are unobstructed. If possible, make your windows into centerpieces of the room. Decorate around your windows so that your eyes are naturally drawn to a source of natural light.
3. Multiply Light With Mirrors
Every home decorator’s collection of decor should include several mirrors that you can place wherever you please.
You can use these mirrors to multiply the light from the sources inside your home. Place your mirrors near standing lamps, windows, and other sources of light. That way, the light from these sources gets reflected onto other parts of the room that it might not necessarily reach otherwise.
Standing mirrors are an essential element of bedroom design. If your bedroom is small or has few windows (a problem that is common in metropolitan rowhomes and apartments), the right mirror setup can completely transform the space.
Not only can mirrors brighten up a room, but they can also make it look larger than it is.
4. Choose Lightweight Furniture
Heavy furniture weighs down a room. If you’re furnishing a new place, avoid stocky, clunky furniture and favor lightweight furniture with thin pieces.
When your couch, table, and chairs are not too blocky, they allow more light to freely travel through the room.
You should also opt for white or light-colored wood furniture when you can. Of course, if you have pets or young children running around, this may not be feasible.
If you want to upgrade your existing furniture to brighten up your space cheaply, you can do so. You can easily add new, slimmer legs to a sofa or an armchair. You can also repaint most wooden furniture to a lighter color fairly easily.
Other furniture colors that are great for reflecting light include yellow, light blue, mint green, and pastel pink.
5. Use Light-Colored Paint
This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but it’s worth remembering: you can always repaint your space. If your home came with drab wall colors, freshen them up with something brighter!
Repainting your space can make a huge difference, and the materials you need to do it are quite affordable.
You can also paint light-colored accent walls to reflect light and add some fun to your home. Sunny yellow is a great go-to accent wall color.
For the best results, we recommend repainting with a bright but slightly off-white color. Pure white walls, while technically the lightest shade you can find, can often look sterile and uninviting.
6. Add Living Decorations
Adding an array of houseplants to your home can actually make it look brighter! You can check out some of the most popular houseplants here for inspiration.
This trick is almost purely psychological. When you combine natural light with plants and greenery, it makes your home look much more vibrant and bright.
Green, vine-like plants pair very well with white walls. Bright, cheery flowers make great accent pieces for coffee and dining tables.
Look for a flower with a splash of light green or yellow to place in the center of a room where you know the natural light will reach it. This subtle reflection of light is sure to brighten up the entire room.
Lighten Up Your Home Decoration
Now is the perfect time to rethink your home decoration and let the light in. You may be surprised by how much happier you feel when your space is bright and cheery.
For more home decoration tips, check out the rest of our blog! We’ve got all the trends you need to keep your home looking great all year round.
