Brighten Dark Room

Lighting isn’t just an essential part of your home design. It’s an important part of staying healthy, and the amount of natural sunlight we receive has a direct impact on our well-being. So if there is little room in your home for natural light, don’t let it. Our skilled designers have these tips on how to brighten a dark room.

Paint walls

If you’re trying to lighten up your room, the first step should be to repaint your walls. And repainting your walls doesn’t necessarily have to mean a pure white look. Light grays and blues with a satin finish are great options for brightening up your space. Check out the difference a fresh coat of paint has made in this breezy urban retreat.

Low profile furniture

Most people don’t believe that furniture can brighten up a room, but it is absolutely possible. In this Upper West Side family home, large brown suede couches blocked a lot of potential light. So we swapped them out for gray lower profile sofas by Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman to let light into the room.

Mere window treatments

We love thick, high quality window treatments in winter. They keep out the cold and keep your house warm. But when the weather turns nice, consider sheer options. They let in more light and give your room a light and airy feeling. In this skyscraper, we installed sheer window treatments to make the space feel light and airy.

Big lights

If part of your home doesn’t have a window, there are several lighting options that you should consider. Larger lights are best for square and symmetrical rooms with little light. For this square, windowless foyer, we have chosen a light gold wallpaper that reflects a large, light-defusing lamp.

Track lighting

For tighter spaces like hallways, consider track lighting. It’s a great way to brighten up your space, and it can also be an effective way to put your art in the spotlight. See how we used track lighting in this Upper West Side home.

Tear down a wall

If you really need a lighter room, consider tearing down one of your walls. It’s a drastic measure, but definitely an effective one. This gives your space a more open floor plan and brightens up your home significantly. In this New Jersey house, we tore down some walls for an airy, wide-open kitchen area.

High-gloss fabrics

One of the easiest ways to brighten up your space is to choose high-gloss fabrics and materials. So that this windowless library doesn’t feel like a cell, we installed a gold ceiling and upholstered red velvet chairs with a high gloss.