7 Ways To Bring More Light Into Small Rooms
The amount of natural light that each of the rooms in your house receives is not equal. If you find that some of your rooms feel too dark to feel comfy, there are a few options you can consider to let in some natural light.
You can add natural light from an overhead skylight, adjacent window, or from adjacent rooms that are open to the dark room. Here are some other options to increase the light in your small room:
- Keep all sources of light clean
The first step should be to clean your windows, fixtures, and bulbs, so the little light getting into the room can shine its brightest.
- Mirrors
Consider placing a mirror on the wall adjacent or opposite the biggest window serving that room. When placed next to the window, the mirror will imitate the window, making it look like you have many windows on that wall. Placing the mirror opposite the window uses a different strategy, as the light and views from the window are reflected, creating the feeling of plenty of lighting.
- Reflective surfaces
An installation such as a back-painted glass backsplash can create the impression of more light by bouncing light around.
- Don’t block the light
If you use heavy window treatments that block natural light, consider replacing them with translucent shades that offer privacy while letting light into the room. This will produce a soft glow to the window treatment and reflect light onto the adjacent wall.
- Install a glass door
To let in light from other areas of the house, consider installing a glass door. If you need more privacy, you can opt for reeded or etched glass.
- Replace other interior solid doors with glass
Although interior doors provide an element of soundproofing, which is an important element in modern open plans, replacing solid doors with glass doors provides a way for the different rooms to share light, so no single room is shut off.
- Paint the ceiling lighter than your walls
If your walls are white, consider painting the ceiling flat white. But if your walls have a dark colour, choose any lighter colour for the ceiling. Using a white ceiling in a rather rich room will feel oppressive. For reflecting light, consider matte paint – though it is not as reflective as glossy or semi-glossy.
Lastly, if you are willing to put in the work, you may consider widening the doorways or window size, or taking down any unnecessary walls to merge rooms.
