Natural light can make your home feel a lot more spacious. However, so too can artificial light under the right circumstances. Unfortunately, most people have absolutely no idea how to use light to make their homes appear bigger, which is why a lot of houses seem small and cramped.
If you think that your house feels claustrophobic because there isn’t enough light, then you’re in the right place. This post will explore this topic in more detail, explaining how you can effectively brighten up your home, and in turn, make it seem a lot bigger.
Buying Lamps
Natural light isn’t the only way to open up your home and make it feel bigger. As mentioned in the introduction, artificial light can do that too. Visiting a lighting store and buying some floor and table lamps can be a good way of improving your home’s interior design. However, it is important not to overdo it. Too many lamps can have the opposite effect and can make your home feel small and cramped. Ideally, you should have a floor lamp in the corner of each room and two table lamps. With that said, you might want to use more lamps for especially big rooms. When you are searching for lamps to buy, try to find ones that match one another and more importantly than that, that match the rest of your home’s existing interior design.
Wall Lights
Wall lights are another form of a lamp, though they are seldom used in interior design these days. Despite how infrequently they are used, they can still be a highly effective way of brightening up one’s home (and making it look bigger). The reason for this is that they can illuminate dark corners, bringing them back into the room. If you do not want to fit wall lights, then you can always fit a candle holder, and then use candles. Candles are an economical and efficient way of lighting a room. The use of candles can also be very therapeutic and relaxing, though they can appear anachronistic in a house that’s ultra-modern.
Long Pendants
If you have rooms with high ceilings, then the use of long pendants can be a good way to emphasize each room’s height. However, if your house doesn’t have high ceilings then using long pendants can have the opposite effect. It can actually make each room seem a lot smaller. Pendants are light fittings if you are not already familiar with them. You can also buy them from lighting stores. If it is possible for you to do so, try to buy a pendant that matches the table lamps and floor lamps that you are buying.
Using Mirrors
Placing mirrors around your home’s interior, ideally next to light sources, can be a good way of brightening things up even more. The reason for this is that mirrors capture light and reflect it. Using mirrors can be an extremely good way of making your home feel and look much brighter. When you put mirrors directly next to light sources, the mirror will carry the light into other parts of the room. Try to buy the biggest mirrors you can, since they look good as far as interior design is concerned and are the most effective.
White Walls
White walls are a very good way of making any room seem bright. Even the darkest of rooms can seem much lighter when you paint the walls white. If you are planning on painting your walls white, then try to use low-VOC paint. Various studies have shown that VOC paint is dangerous to inhale as it dries. Low-VOC paint, on the other hand, is a lot safer. Be sure to cover your floors up with plastic sheeting when you’re painting so that you don’t stain them. All of this might seem obvious, but you would be surprised at how many people actually have no idea how to paint (or what paint to buy).
Large Rug
Finally, consider buying a large rug. One of the best types of rug that you can buy if you want your home to seem brighter is a white-over-black Beni Ourain. These are rugs made by hand by Moroccan tribespeople in the Atlas Mountains. They are adored by interior designers for the modern yet traditional aesthetic they bring into rooms. These rugs do require a lot of care though, not to mention that they can be very expensive if bought antique.
Brightening up your home can make it a much nicer place to be. It’s not at all hard to do, either. If you haven’t already taken steps to make your home seem lighter, bigger, and airier, then what are you waiting for?