Warm Up Dark Days
With fall already here and winter around the corner our houses stay darker longer. To get us through these cold days ahead, warm up your home and make it brighter. By changing your wall treatments, lighting, furniture, or accessories, there are so many ways to do this!
Wall Treatments: A house with minimal natural light will look so much brighter with light colored walls. My favorite whites are Benjamin Moore White Dove used to bring out warmer tones like yellow and red. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace is a perfect white that mixes well with cooler colors like blue and green. You can also use bright colors or bright patterns on the walls with wallpaper or wall decals. Steer away from darker hues or muddy undertones. Another great idea is putting lacquer on your walls. This will create a shiny surface that will reflect light and look fabulous.
Design by Clayton + Little
Design by Cynthia Hayes Interior Design
Lighting: This one may seem obvious, but is often overlooked. Make sure you are covering all of the bases when it comes to your lighting. Overhead lighting such as pendants, chandeliers, flushmounts, and recessed lighting are the the most influential in a space. It can produce a wide spread and help light up an entire room. If you do not have electrical in your ceilings then think about using your outlets for light sources such as floor lamps, table lamps or wall sconces.
Design by Savvy Interiors
Design by Ezra Lee Design + Build
Furniture: Declutter and get rid of any unnecessary furniture or accessories. Having less furniture will help make the room seem less cluttered, and therefore lighter and brighter. Similar to the wall treatments concept, think about color when choosing your furniture in a darker room. White or very light furniture will make the room look bigger and brighter. Vivid, brilliant colored furniture will also help to make the room cheery and light.
Design by Turner Pocock
Design by Anthony Baratta
Accessories: The best accessories to use in a room that is lacking brilliance are ones that reflect light. Metallics like silver, gold, and copper will help to cast light into your room. Mirrors are also a fantastic accessory that can help to reflect light into a space. Place a mirror directly across from a window to help reflect the natural light shining through. It’s basically like adding another window in a room. If you have dark floors then consider getting a bright or light colored rug to help illuminate your space!
Design by Amy Kartheiser Design
Design by Studio McGee
Don’t let these dark and dreary months define your home! Try these helpful tips and tricks and make your house look as bright as those summer days we once knew.