Have you recently moved into a new flat and discovered that it’s darker and dingier than you expected? Or perhaps you’ve simply grown tired of the lack of natural light in your current home? In either case, the lack of natural light can have a negative impact on your productivity, health and well-being, as well as your energy consumption.
When it comes to letting light in, a lack of windows can be a major problem, but windows aren’t the only factor that makes a place dark. Paint colour, curtains, decoration and poor lighting are all factors that can be easily remedied. Painting can be a big project, and it’s not always feasible in a rental, so before you jump in, try these lighting ideas to brighten up your space:
Relax and unwind.
One of the most obvious and simple ways to increase the brightness in a dark place is to improve the lighting in your home. There are a number of things to consider, including types of lighting, location of lights, dimmers and lumens :
Types of lighting
The following three forms of lighting should be included in your lighting design plan:
- Task lighting is for areas that require attention to detail, such as reading nooks, food preparation areas, workshops and offices.
- Accentuates decorative elements, artwork and other unique things.
- Ambiance (general) – Creates atmosphere and facilitates safe movement by providing constant lighting throughout the room.
Using these three styles of lighting in your home will help you generate layers of light, bringing intrigue and depth to a dark room while allowing you to illuminate the areas that need it most.
Well-placed light fittings
One of the most effective ways to supplement the limited light provided by the lack of windows is to use a few well-placed and carefully chosen light fittings. In a dark space, ceiling lights shouldn’t be your main source of illumination, but they are a good place to start.
The height of floor lamps draws the eye upwards and makes the room feel larger, and their relatively compact design means they can slip into dark corners or behind furniture without taking up too much space.
When choosing light fittings for your home, keep the following points in mind:
- Use light to wash ceilings and walls to reflect it back into the space.
- Use mounted lights to add light without taking up a lot of space.
- Recessed lighting can be used to illuminate wooden beams and dark-coloured ceilings. By creating an indirect glow, hidden lights such as recessed lamps can help replicate the look of the sun coming in.
- Install under-cabinet lights in kitchens and bathrooms to illuminate dark corners. Under-cabinet lighting can also be used as accent lighting, and as LED strips are very simple to install, the principle of under-cabinet lighting can be used in any room.
- Use glass or gloss pendant lights to reflect light in dark corners.
- Using adaptable wires, cords and strips, add creative subdued light to the corners and edges of the room.
Dimmers
Dimmers are essential in a dark room. Instead of getting stuck on one particular aspect unless you change the bulb, they allow you to brighten or darken the room at will, giving you more control over the light level and overall mood. You can use a dimmer switch with dimmable bulbs or 3-level bulbs so you don’t have to worry about installation.
Colour temperature, lumen levels and light bulbs
The light bulbs you choose for your fixtures will have a big impact on the quality of light you receive.
The bulb’s lumen level and colour temperature are particularly important to consider. You’ll probably prefer a warm colour temperature in a room with minimal natural lighting, so look for a brighter bulb with dimming capabilities around 2700k or less to create a warm ambience.
Cool coloured bulbs with colour temperatures above 4000K should only be used in lamps used for task lighting to keep you attentive while you work.
LEDs are more energy efficient, which can help offset higher energy costs caused by a lack of natural light, and they are also available in a wider range of colours, including very warm white, warm white, cool white and daylight.
Additional suggestions
Apart from lighting, there are a few other things you can do to improve the lighting in your room:
Mirrors and reflective surfaces – Adding mirrors and other reflective surfaces to a space can help distribute the available light. Mirrors can enlarge your space and mimic the look of a window, while worktops, tables and other matt horizontal surfaces reflect light upwards without the harsh glare that gloss paint can provide.
Keep furniture and decorations away from windows to avoid blocking light and creating shadows.
- Light walls – As far as possible, avoid dark paint colours. White or very light colours reflect light back into the room, making it appear larger. If you must use dark colours, limit them to a single wall, ceiling or floor.
- Plants that grow in the shade – Adding plants that grow in the shade can help brighten up an area where light is limited.
- Interior windows, skylights, ceiling openings (windows between floors), glazed doors and transoms (windows above a door) – Adding interior windows, skylights, ceiling openings (windows between floors), glazed doors and transoms (windows above a door) helps to distribute the limited light you receive in your flat or home.
- Keep blinds and curtains sheer and light-coloured to avoid blocking light entirely even when closed. Any artwork you hang on the walls should also be light in colour.