Smart ideas to brighten a dark room or home

While homeowners have more options for improving natural light in their house or apartment than renters – for example, knocking down walls – five of our Top 10 tips for brightening up dark spaces can make a significant difference to any property.

IF YOU OWN YOUR PROPERTY

Open it up

Knocking down interior walls to open the space will immediately let more natural light in. However, before you get the jackhammer out, make sure you have permission from the body corporate if your property is a strata-title apartment, or check with your licensed builder that it’s not a load-bearing wall if your property is a house. Failing to obtain professional advice could lead to a world of pain.

Floors and walls

If you have dark timber floors, replace them with lighter boards, a floating floor or update existing floors with a lime-washed or clear finish. Hard-wearing neutral-coloured carpeting can also give rooms a lift.
Painting walls and ceilings white might sound boring but it works. White sends light bouncing around your space, reflecting back onto other surfaces and making the space look bigger than it is.

Glass-panelled doors

Solid doors, whether front, back or interior, block the flow of natural light. Consider replacing them with glass-panelled doors – and if privacy is important, frosted glass lets light in without giving neighbours the full reveal. Check out glass-panelled (glazed) doors at Sydney suppliers such as Stegbar, which has a showroom at Chatswood.

Install recessed ceiling lighting

Lighting from multiple recessed ceiling points is more effective at distributing light around the room and walls than one central hanging lamp, which concentrates the light on one area on the floor. Recessed ceiling lights should cast a soft, ambient light and be dimmable; if you’re not an expert at DIY electrics, call an electrician to do the job.

Window treatments

Replacing or enlarging windows is another job that requires professional advice – planning regulations regarding exterior appearances are highly complex. Simpler options include choosing white or light-coloured curtains to reflect light, just as white walls do. Hanging curtains above the top of the windows and beyond the sides of the windows creates an impression of extra space and light in the room.

IF YOU RENT YOUR PROPERTY

Update lampshades and globes

Once again, white is your friend. Choose white lampshades that allow maximum light diffusion – the shade itself gives the illusion of more light, especially in a small room. Light globes come in a confusing array of colours, styles and energy output but Beacon Lighting, which has stores in Artarmon and Crows Nest, provides a handy lighting guide.

Use mirrors to redirect light

Strategically placed mirrors can work wonders to amplify natural light and reflect light cast by floor and table lamps. As you can’t drill holes in the walls (unless your landlord gives you written permission), look for large, freestanding mirrors that can sit adjacent to a window for maximum natural light reflection, or shop around for statement pieces you can place on a shelf or table.

Free up wall space

If your walls are white, make the most of the reflective space and don’t cover them with artworks. Two or three signature pieces, fixed with non-damaging adhesive strips, will make a room appear lighter. If your walls are dark, ask your landlord if you can repaint them; again, written permission is required and you will probably have to use a professional painter.

Minimise your furniture

Limiting the amount of furniture in your apartment not only creates extra space – giving rooms a bigger, brighter appearance – it reduces the shadows cast by large pieces. Select spaces between furniture can be used for standing lamps to provide extra lighting. ‘Low-rise’ furniture also creates the illusion of space and light, by freeing up wall space.

Choose lighter furniture

Glass or marble-topped dining and coffee tables reflect light and allow it to flow around the room; similarly, slimline, pale-coloured chairs, lounges and shelving units will naturally reflect more light than heavy dark pieces. Check out Scandi-style furniture at stores such as Ikea and Interior Secrets for inspiration.

And, if you’re looking for property market insights or a place to rent, invest in or planning to sell your home, please do not hesitate to contact me, Anthony, or my father Gabi, at Home Property Agents.