Smart homeowners can look past a drab, dark room and see countless ways to illuminate it. If there’s a room in your house that’s a bit dim, there are many tricks you can use to brighten it up right away.
Changing the lighting and color will make a striking difference, and choosing lighter furniture and decorations can also help a room feel spacious and bright.
Here are 16 easy ways to give your home an inexpensive facelift!!
House plants. There is no better way to brighten your home than with houseplants and freshly cut flowers. Both bring nature indoors and improve the quality of air in your home. Flowers and plants also make the interior of your home more colorful.
Paint. The least expensive way to brighten your home is with the right color of paint. The perfect shade can brighten any room and cover those dents and dings you’ve put in your walls. If you do not want to paint the whole room, you can just paint one wall without completely changing the look of the room.
Change the accessories. If you think your rooms have become too boring, change the decor. Throw a colorful blanket over your couch and add new pillows with contrasting colors. Replace your old candle collection with some natural soy aromatherapy scents.
Rearrange the furniture. What an easy way to revive a tired room. When you’re arranging the furniture, keep the couch and chairs away from the window so the natural light is not blocked (the whole point in moving the furniture is to brighten the room). Have fun with it, but do it carefully – you don’t want to hurt your back.
Clean. When was the last time you the moved the couch and vacuumed the dust bunnies, wiped the baseboards down, or scrubbed the refrigerator from top to bottom? Cleaning those dingy windows will let the sun shine through and brighten your home naturally. Plus, think of the calories you’ll burn.
After you’re done cleaning, lighten your load. Why not gather up your old knick-knacks and useless décor that are collecting dust and absorbing your light, and give them away or donate them? Simplifying your tables, counters and shelves will lighten your home.
Open the windows. Letting fresh air into your home will lift your spirits and remove the stale smells lingering in your drapes and furniture.
Avoid heavy fabrics. If your windows are laden with heavy sun-blocking drapes, remove them and replace them with lighter curtains. Sheers would be your best option for maximum light. You can always add shades behind your sheers for privacy at night, but during the day, lift the shades and let the sun shine in.
Mirrors. They are the best light enhancing and room-enlarging accessory you can add. The light reflecting off the mirror doubles the light in the room and makes the room appear to be larger in scale. So mirror it up! To get the best results from your mirrors, if possible, hang them directly opposite from your window.
Throw rugs. Adding a patterned throw rug can successfully brighten a room. Be cautious when choosing a rug. You will want one that compliments the décor and the color of your room, not one that clashes with it.
Switch out your lighting. Lighting makes the world difference in any room. Home lighting can have a profound effect on our quality of life. Homes that are well lit with energy efficient lighting can be easy on the eyes, require less maintenance and offer energy savings. Placing a desk lamp or floor lamp in a dark corner of the room could make your place feel brighter and more inviting.
Add some artwork. Another way to add color and brighten your home is to hang some colorful artwork to your walls. Paintings that feature the colors of your décor and furniture will pull the rooms together and will work in harmony to brighten up your home
Cover your existing furnishings with slipcovers. Revitalize your furniture with a neutral-colored slipcover. Choose oatmeal or tan over a bold color. That way if you change the color of your walls, you will not have to change your slipcover. Also, having a neutral covering will brighten the room.
Change your bathroom. Changing the accessories is a great way to breathe new life into your bathroom. Replace your shower curtain with one that is brightly patterned and your raggedy old towels for some fun colorful ones. Add a bath rug, some artwork and scented candles and your bathroom is renewed.
Clean your cabinets. Cleaning out your cupboards and replacing your old shelf paper with new will revitalize your kitchen cabinets. Replace old spices and get rid of chipped and unused dishes. This will lighten up your kitchen whenever you open your cabinet doors. It also wouldn’t hurt to wipe the fingerprints off the doors.
Clean your closets. Get rid of junk! Old coats, shoes and clothes that you’ve been holding on to, thinking that someday you will wear them, but never do. The rule of thumb is, if you haven’t worn it or used it in the last year, you don’t need it. Get rid of it! Have a yard sale or donate it. It’s amazing how much brighter a home can be with clean closets!
-The Alternative Daily
