Now that daylight savings time has ended and the cold, dark days of winter are approaching (at least here in the northern hemisphere), you may be looking for ways to brighten up your home. Things can get a bit depressing this time of year, especially after the holidays are over and all the lights and decorations come down.
You may be thinking that there’s not much you can do to stave off the darkness. After all, new windows are expensive and may not even be allowed where you live. Buying all-white furniture or glass tables might not be an option, either. There’s nothing you can do to stop the sun from setting early, so can you even fight the darkness? Don’t despair! Here are a few ways to brighten your home without spending a fortune.
Clean lightbulbs, fixtures, and shades
If you’ve never cleaned your light fixtures, you may be surprised at how much dust is limiting your light. Clean off the bulbs and shades. Clean any glass fixtures with glass cleaner inside and out. Dust any can lights or recessed lighting, as well.
Get brighter bulbs and simpler lampshades
If cleaning the fixtures didn’t help much, you might try brighter bulbs and simpler shades. Now that LED bulbs are a thing, you can go up quite a bit in brightness without a serious hit to your energy bill. You might also experiment with the various light tones like bright white, soft white, or daylight to see which suits you best. And if your lampshades are dark, heavily pleated, or patterned, trade them in for lightweight white lampshades to bring the brightness into the room.
Clean windows
It’s not a fun task, but cleaning your windows with a good glass cleaner can make a world of difference. If you can clean inside and out, all the better. You don’t realize how much gunk builds up on a window until you take that first swipe with a cleaner cloth. Then you probably say, “Ewww.”
Clean walls and cabinets
Cleaning is a big thing on this list because it’s sometimes surprising how much of a difference a good cleaning can make. This goes for walls and cabinets, as well as everything else. Get a cloth or fluffer duster and wipe down your walls. If the paint or wallpaper will allow it, you can even use mild soap and water (test an inconspicuous area, first). Removing the grease from cabinets, and smudges and stains from walls can make a big difference in the brightness of a room.
Clean floors, counters, and baths
As with walls, floors, counters and baths build up large amounts of crud that can dim your rooms. Remove carpet stains and overall dinginess with a rented carpet cleaner. Mop hard surfaces with appropriate cleaners, clean stains and gunk off the counters, and remove all mold and soap scum from bath fixtures. With everything shiny and glittering, your rooms will look much brighter.
Place lamps strategically
Place your lamps where they’ll do the most good. Put a good one by where you sit most often so you “feel” that brightness most of the time. Put a good floor lamp in that dark corner to repel the darkness. Placing a lamp on top of high furniture like a dresser or entertainment center can help shine light downward into the room. (Especially helpful if the room doesn’t have a ceiling light.) Experiment with where your lamps can make the most difference.
Clean soft furnishings
Things like duvets, slipcovers, rugs, shower curtains, and upholstery can get dingy over time. Give them a good wash or treat with appropriate stain removers and cleaners.
Replace/Add soft furnishings
If cleaning doesn’t help and funds allow, you can replace or cover your darker stuff with brighter items. Replace the purple comforter with white or off white. Change the area rug from brown to light gray. Get a white shower curtain to replace the navy blue. Cover the dark dining table with a white tablecloth. If you’re stuck with dark carpet or floors, get a bright area rug to cover it and at least break up the darkness. Cover the burgundy couch with a sunny yellow slipcover. Most of these cover or replacement items can be had for low cost if you wait for a good sale.
Declutter
Clutter is the enemy of light. The more stuff you have in a room, the less the light is able to bounce around the room. It makes the space seem smaller, darker, and dirtier. Pay special attention to any clutter in front of windows or on the window sills. If you have excess furniture you don’t really use, get rid of it and rearrange the room so that furniture is away from windows. Get rid of stuff you don’t need or use and open up your space.
Lighter paint color on walls and/or cabinets
Paint can be an inexpensive way to brighten a room. If your colors are dark (or so dirty that cleaning didn’t help), try a brighter color. Even if you can’t do the whole room, an accent wall can make a difference. Dark wood cabinets can be painted, too. Just make sure to use the proper paint and follow the directions. (I’ve seen great cabinet paint jobs and terrible ones, and the difference is almost always related either to the paint used or the (in)ability to follow directions.)
Holiday lights: Not just for holidays
Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean you have to stash all your lights away. Drape some around the furniture or up near the ceiling to add some soft lighting. While white/clear will be the brightest, colors still add light, so the choice is yours.
Use mirrors to reflect light
Placing a mirror opposite of a light source (be it window or lamp) can help reflect light into the room, brightening the space. You can find some cool mirrors at thrift stores or Habitat for Humanity stores. Experiment to achieve the best placement.
Bright artwork, in bright fames
Artwork that has a white background and vibrant colors can brighten a space. Bonus if you frame it in a white or silver frame instead of a heavy wood frame. The glass and bright frame can also help reflect light into the room at large. You don’t have to buy fine art. Cheap posters work just as well, or you can create something yourself.
Deploy plants
Plants can do wonders to brighten your room. (Just don’t go so far overboard that you turn the room into a jungle.) Bonus if the plant produces pretty flowers now and then. Use light colored planters in white or off white instead of dark baskets or pots.
Portable/temporary lighting
If you just need more light for the winter season, there are plenty of portable lighting options these days. You can buy light boxes or wake up lights that are designed to help with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). These operate on frequencies shown to help recreate true daylight and often brighten and dim according to the time of day. Follow the directions, since these are often used for medical purposes. There are also things like battery operated tap lights that can illuminate under cabinets or be placed in bookcases or entertainment centers for a little more light. A good task light over your desk or other work area can help, too.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with embracing the dark, if that’s your thing. Hygge is a way of co-existing peacefully with the darker days, and maybe even turning them to your advantage. But if you feel the need for brightness, hopefully these ideas will help.
Read More:
- Hygge Shouldn’t Be Expensive
- Healthy (and Cheap) Winter Entertainment
- Helpful Tips to Beat Seasonal Depression
- 19 Fall Tune Ups and Checks To Save You Money Throughout The Winter
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