Banishing those winter blues
Winter is like being stuck in limbo. With chilly weather driving us back indoors, it sometimes feels as if all we can do is hunker down, bundle up and wait for spring. But so much extra time spent inside can take its toll and it soon becomes even more obvious when our interiors are dark and unwelcoming.
Your living spaces should be lifting your spirit throughout the year, so it’s important to make them feel light, bright and rejuvenating. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at how to brighten a dark room in winter to cast off the shadows and bring a slice of the warmer season into our spaces.
1. Bring in bright neutrals
When you’re looking at how to brighten a dark room, this is always going to be your main go-to option. Painting in bright neutral colours - like shades of white, light creams and greys - will instantly create a brighter feel and help to reflect more light around your room.
Though you might be tempted to splash brilliant white everywhere in your space, just bear in mind that if it’s too bright, it can get a little overwhelming.
And in summer you might even find it has a certain glare on sunny days. Stick with something bright but not too harsh for your walls and ceiling for a surefire way to perk up the winter months.
2. Declutter and organise
Clutter has a lot to answer for when it comes to making rooms feel dark and oppressive. We all know that the look of an untidy room can negatively affect mental health, but the physical presence of clutter could also be making your room feel dingy.
Any accumulated mess will stop light from reaching every corner of your space, which all adds towards that gloomy atmosphere we’re desperately trying to avoid. But the solution is simple. Decluttering and organising your things can completely transform your space.
And if you’re struggling to find a place for everything, it’s well worth thinking about adding some better storage. Fitted wardrobes give you all the space you need to tidy away your things and keep the look of your interior pared-back and streamlined.
3. Use light wood finishes
Not a fan of neutrals? Try bringing in light woods instead. Scandi-inspired finishes like our Nordic Oak bring a crisp and invigorating freshness into spaces - the ideal antidote for any rooms that are dark and uninviting.
The great thing about bringing in cooler wood tones is that they still don’t feel clinical. They add the texture and calmness of the natural world, making them a great alternative to block colours. As an added bonus, wood finishes are super easy to work into a variety of interior design styles, whether you’re in love with contemporary or prefer something more traditional.
A style that keeps your interiors feeling fresh and bright all year round.
4. Mirrors make a huge difference
Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors. For anyone with a dark room, this is one room feature you should never be without - and you can’t have too many (probably).
To catch the maximum amount of light, the best place to add yours is opposite a window. Although if that’s not practical, any space where it can command attention will do.
For spaces like small bedrooms, you can’t go wrong with mirrored wardrobes, which give you plenty of reflective surface but without taking up any extra wall space. Not only are they practical for getting ready in the morning, they’ll bring that much needed sparkle during the colder months.
5. Supplement your natural light
It’s common for the colder months to be dull and overcast, so if there’s not much daylight to be had, what do you do?
If you’re looking for ways to lighten a room with little natural light , it’s a good idea to supplement this with artificial sources that mimic the same feel.
Daylight bulbs are a great addition to lamps or your main light as they create a similar blue-white hue as natural light. Fantastic if you’re suffering from seasonal affective disorder - or just want to boost your mood in the evenings - they’re a really easy fix for brightening a dark space.
6. Add in some gloss finishes
Another sneaky way to reflect more light into your space. Gloss finishes have a lustre to them that creates just a little more brightness. And when you’re trying to restyle a dark space, every bit counts.
But gloss finishes are more than just a practical touch for adding brightness. They also look super chic and glamorous in the right setting.
Though they might have fallen out of favour in recent years, gloss finishes still pack plenty of punch when blended in amongst other finishes and textures, like matt and wood.
Pairing them with the right handles can also create a stunning focal point to your overall look.
Perfect for master bedrooms and dressing rooms, they add undeniable glamour to the proceedings.
7. Bright and bold patterns
This tip is super easy when you’re looking at how to brighten a dark room. Just inject some pops of colour into your space.
The easiest way to do this is with your soft furnishings.
Look for bold patterns that are saturated with vivid hues to really capture that dynamic, rejuvenating aesthetic.
Seeing bright, joyful colours is a fantastic mood-booster throughout the day and an ideal way to counter the grim seasonal weather.
8. Add metallic accents
We’re not done with reflective surfaces just yet! Don’t forget a smattering of metallics when you’re rethinking your dark room space. Similar to gloss surfaces, objects with metallic accents will pick out the light and reflect it back into your room, making it a lot more welcoming.
Warm metallics like gold, bronze and brass are superb for creating a cosy vibe but cool metals can be great too. Using high-shine chrome or silver finishes blend wonderfully with contemporary spaces, though are versatile enough to work in a variety of interior design schemes.
9. Throw down a light rug
Let’s not neglect your flooring.
One way to brighten up a dark room is with a light-coloured rug - a great way to create contrast if you’ve got dark floorboards or carpet.
It’ll create a vibrant distinction that really emphasises the colour or shade you’ve chosen.
For something timelessly elegant, go for cream or grey tones.
But if you want to break away from the norm with something different, don’t hesitate to go for a bold pattern or colour scheme. Let your personality shine through.
10. Bring in ambient lighting
We’ve already touched on lighting but here we’re looking at a more subtle alternative to your big light. If you’re not entirely sold on trying to replicate natural light in the evenings, try layering your lighting with lamps and downlights to create a relaxing, cosy atmosphere.
With this method, you’re not banishing the dark entirely - you’re instead using it to create mood and play with contrast within your space.
The great thing is that you can bring in ambient lighting in a variety of ways. You can add in statement reading lamps in your living room, maybe add in some freestanding uplighters for a bit of diffuse light.
Want something really high-concept and chic?
Try adding lighting to shelving or fitted storage.
Our Vega shelf lighting looks absolutely stunning paired up with bookcases and serves as an elegant way to showcase all of your favourite interior decor pieces.
And, as they’re dimmable, you can always create just the right mood at the touch of a button.
11. Choose low-line furniture
If you want to make sure light can reach every part of your room, one way to do this is by adding low-slung furniture.
You’d be surprised how much of a difference this can make. By opting for seating and furniture with a reduced height, it can really open out the feel of the room.
Even with less light, it’ll make it appear more airy, bright and roomy.
Look for sofas and chairs with low backs, or for bedrooms, opt for a bed base that’s closer to the floor. Which leads us nicely into our next point…
12. Banish anything casting shadows
Take a look at your space and see if there’s anything blocking the light. It might be ornaments on your windowsill, large statement items that are a tad too obtrusive, or a TV that could be positioned better in your space.
The more items that cast shadows, the more dreary it can make your interiors feel.
So when you’re starting to look at how to brighten a dark room, rearranging your layout is a must.
For any big pieces, see if you can find a better position within the room.
A media unit can be super useful for a large television, giving it a dedicated space where it’ll be attached to the wall and in the best viewing point too.
Plus, with the extra storage they provide, you can move any knick-knacks away from your windows and into a more prominent display area.
13. Opt for open shelving
Another way you can make your space feel less dark and hemmed in is by having more open shelving and storage.
Pigeonhole shelving allows light to hit right into the back of your space, which can make a big difference to the aesthetic of smaller rooms.
To really capitalise on their breezy personality, pair up open storage with a lighter finish so that it drives away the darkness as much as possible.
14. Paint the floor
We know you can paint your walls but what about your floor?
For any homes with bare floorboards, keep in mind that giving them some colour isn’t off the table for you.
Floorboards look fantastic painted in a statement colour, and you can pick any shade you like so long as it works with your scheme.
You could go for a bright neutral (as suggested in point 1) though you could also pick a complementary shade that blends cohesively into your layout.
Or to really make your lighter walls and ceiling stand out, you can also create contrast by giving your floor a darker colour.
It might seem counterintuitive at first if you’re thinking of how to brighten a dark room, but it really helps anything lighter stand out even more effectively.
Brightening up your everyday with Sharps
Don’t settle for dull interiors when they could be a joy to be in. If you’re ready for a complete overhaul of your interiors - whether it’s a dingy dining room or a dark loft space - get in touch with our team at Sharps. We can bring a symphony of storage to your space, allowing your rooms to stay harmoniously organised.
And it’s easy to get started, too. Just book your Free In-Home Design Visit today and we’ll help you to create the fitted storage of your dreams.
