How to bring light into a dark room

We live in a gorgeous little cottage built in the 1890s and although I love our house, it can be incredibly dark inside, especially in our living room. We can't make any big changes because we rent the property, there are still some things we can do to make the room feel lighter and brighter.

Declutter

I have been bitten by the decluttering bug and the difference it makes in our home. I am not even half way there but seeing the difference that decluttering makes to the appearance of a room and the time it takes to clean up has been astounding. Decluttering will help to make a room look more spacious, which helps it to look brighter.

Paint

Painting the walls would be an obvious choice, but for those of us in rented accommodation we can't just repaint the walls easily. A project that we are planning for this summer is to paint our dining room table using chalk paint to brighten up the room. The current wood soaks up a lot of the tiny amount of natural light we get, so this will make a big difference without having to paint the walls.

If you are in a position to paint the room then painting the ceiling white or using a lighter colour on the walls can make a massive difference.

Good lighting

Using brighter bulbs such as ones from LED hut will help to bring more light into your dark room. LED bulbs use up to 90% less electricity whilst still giving off great light. Using strategically placed lamps can add extra light to your room too.

Mirror mirror on the wall

Mirrors are great for lighting up darker rooms. Mirrors reflect light to make it feel brighter and even bigger. Look out for mirrors that have smaller frames – these are best because they lighten up a room without being too intrusive.

If you have a dark room in your house, how do you lighten it up?

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