While open-plan kitchens and big master bedrooms often grab the headlines, something that a lot of homebuyers place an increasing amount of importance on is light. In an ideal world, this would be of the natural variety, but this isn’t always possible for all sorts of reasons.
Fortunately, help is at hand. Generally speaking, it can take just a few minor hacks to a room to make it lighter and more welcoming.
The easiest way would be to use the services of an architect, who’ll know all the classic tips of the trade and the modern technologies, to inject those bursts of light into a room. If you do go down this route, the only advice we’d suggest is to choose one suited to your property and one that has the required indemnity insurance.
However, if you’re targeting the DIY approach, read on, and we’ll reveal all.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
The old saying is true: mirrors do indeed make a room appear bigger, and when it comes to light, they’re incredibly effective. It’s all to do with how they reflect light, which bounces off the surface and illuminates the room. The bigger the mirror, the more light it can reflect, and the better the effect.
In terms of positioning, try and place your mirrors opposite natural light sources. This way, the effect will be amplified.
Consider your flooring choices
While this next option could be more expensive, the effect can be game-changing. In short, the type of floor you have can make a monumental difference. In the case of dark wood, this will absorb light. Then, when it comes to a lighter wood flooring, this will do the opposite and reflect.
Suffice to say, carpets fall into the ‘absorb’ category and should be avoided, if possible.
Lighter furnishings can be the way forward
The rules we have just outlined with flooring are very similar for furniture. While it could be argued that darker furniture holds a more luxurious appearance, particularly if you’re opting for a traditional finish, it’s again going to absorb light. Unsurprisingly, the more of it is, the gloomier a room will appear.
Once again, you need to play to the rules of reflection, choosing lighter furniture which will really open your room up and allow it to conquer any gloominess that has the potential to occur.
Your wall colouring choices are crucial as well
You’ve probably got the point; lighter choices tend to be the way forward. The same most definitely occurs with your walls, which should be painted in the lightest tones possible.
However, there is more. As any budding decorators will testify, the number of different paint finishes now available borders on the ridiculous. If your walls are in particularly good condition, you could consider a semi-gloss finish. This adds a touch of shine to the walls, which can help with that reflection factor again. Unfortunately, these glossier paints tend to emphasize any minor blemishes that may already be on your walls, so we’d exercise a degree of caution.
Leave a Reply