Most of us would prefer to live in light and bright homes rather than small dark spaces. That isn’t always possible and many of us are stuck with small dark apartments, or spending time in tiny dark rooms that aren’t exactly optimum for our enjoyment or healthy living.
Luckily, there are some things that you can do to make the most of small dark spaces and at least make them feel a bit lighter than they really are…
Light Walls
Obviously, if you’re dealing with a small dark apartment, the last thing you should do is paint the walls in a dark shade like red, purple or black. Light whites and creams will instantly give the space a lift and make it feel a little brighter., and that’s what you should be using on your walls. However, if you like your dark colors, you should be able to get away with painting one feature wall in a darker color.
When you’re painting your walls, be sure to use matte rather than glossy paints because, although it seems like it should be the other way round, matte paint actually reflects the light evenly, while glossy paints can cause an annoying glare that won’t make your space as bright as it could be.
Light Floors
White flooring, whether you paint the floorboards or install a white carpet, will also help to make the space brighter and bigger, especially when combined with white walls. It will really open up the space and make it feel a lot roomier than it really is.
Floor-Length Curtains
Floor-length curtains can really help to make your windows look bigger, and your rooms seem higher than they actually are. If you’re dealing with a small room, you should never use curtains that cut themselves off mid-wall. This just makes the space seem smaller. Drapes that are made out of light fabrics and which are also light in color will also help with lightening the room up a bit.
Lighting
Obviously, lighting plays a very important part in making dark rooms seem lighter. In terms of ceiling lights, installing fittings like chandeliers, which have lots of parts to them and diffuse the light better than average, are ideal. You’ll also want to fit lights to the walls and install table lamps and floor lamps too. You can really never have too much light in a small dark room.
Mirrors
Combined with the right lighting, large mirrors can also go a long way to making your space feel bigger and brighter. They do this by reflecting the room and the light out into the space, very effectively.
Keep Furniture to a Minimum
When the room is small, less is more when it comes to furniture. You should not only keep furniture to the minimum you need, but you should also try to choose pieces that are slight, rather than bulky and go for light colors instead of dark browns and blacks. If you like reflective mirrored and chrome furniture, that will be even better because it will also reflect the light.
It’s also a good idea to choose multi-functional furniture as often as possible because then you will need less and be able to use much less space without missing out on functionality. Pull down beds, kitchen counters that have shelving space and sofas that can also be used as storage are all good decorating options.
Reflective Accessories
Accessories are important for making a home feel cozier and more personal, so you definitely shouldn’t leave them out of your home, even if it is only small. What you should do, though, is try to choose accessories which reflect the light, like cut glass or crystal ornaments and tiled lamps.
Clean the Windows
It might seem obvious, but so many people neglect their windows and that makes their space even more dark and dank than it already is. So, wash those windows at least once a week if you want to improve the feel of your home.
Don’t Position Furniture Opposite Windows
If you can help it, you should never position bookshelves or other furniture that will be on the walls, opposite windows because they will obstruct what precious natural light you do get and make the room feel even darker. In fact, if you can avoid putting anything more than mirrors on the wall, you will notice an improvement in the amount of light you get.
Do you live in a small dark space? What have you done to make it feel lighter and brighter?
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