Your home can be your sanctuary, but it requires a bit of design work to take it from a safe set of walls to a cozy and inviting home you love to relax in. There is nothing less enjoyable than a dimly-lit home that feels uninspired, cramped, and lacking in character. Because your home should express you and be the one place you feel entirely welcome, you need to spend some time and effort creating the dream home you’ve always envisioned. One amazing way to start (and stop, if you want) is to work on brightening your home.
Sunny, cheery rooms make such a huge difference that this might be the only change you need to make in order to have your living space finally feel comfortable. But even if you have major plans to overhaul your current aesthetic, start with adding light and happiness to your home. These five chic design ideas will be just the tricks to get you there. Keep reading to learn of super simple ways you can make huge and lasting changes.
Paint the Walls Light Colors
This tip may seem obvious, but having light colored walls in your home versus dark paint that actually closes off your space will make a vast improvement. You can infuse light into your living area and make it appear larger and airier by selecting soft shades of color for the walls. If you love deep, rich jewel tones, don’t think you have to deny yourself the ability to decorate with them! The key to opening your home to brighter light is to keep your main colors (like the paint on your walls) soft and inviting and then creating a balance of light and dark in your accents. While it might seem boring, even white paint does an amazing job of brightening a space.
Infuse the Rooms With Gentle Light
In order to make your home appear brighter, it makes sense that you should proceed by adding more light. Consider trendy light sources and styles that you’d be proud to have in your home. If you need to add a lot of light to a really dark space, it’s best if the light fixtures add to your design tastes, because they will probably be pretty noticeable. Own your need for more light by selecting pieces that fit with your aesthetic.
Some options include table lamps, standing floors lamps, chandeliers, ceiling lights, string lights, LED strips, and candles. You do want to be mindful of the luminosity of your chosen lighting, however. Natural-looking, ambient light is the most desirable, but it’s easy to overstep into fluorescent tones if you aren’t careful. You want your home to look like it’s lit naturally from skylights, which can be accomplished through the right artificial lighting.
Add Reflective Decor
As you’re working hard to bring more light into your home, a smart way to further spread the luminescence into all the corners of your home is to use reflective decor. Mirrors, reflective vases and plant pots, stained glass art, metallics, glass—each of these items does wonders at beaming light around a room. In fact, you can be especially strategic about the placement of your reflective decor, like your mirrors, in order to further open up your rooms.
Use a Magnetic Bug Screen
Nothing brightens up your home like opening the doors and windows and letting the natural sunlight fill the space. Opening the doors and feeling the cool breeze is lovely on sunny afternoons, especially in summer and fall. However, a side effect of letting the fresh air and light indoors is the bugs that tend to sneak inside, too. Prevent your home from being infiltrated by pesky uninvited guests with a magnetic bug screen. Bug screens with magnets are quick and easy to install. Plus, you don’t have to worry about pulling your magnetic bug screen down on accident because it will securely fit into your doorjamb. Not even your pets or kids will be able to pull your magnetic bug screen down, as entrance through the magnets is seamless.
Focus on Your Windows
Speaking of natural lighting from the sun, don’t be afraid to pull back the curtains and blinds and let the light in. When decorating, choose window coverings that allow for plenty of light to enter in, and opt for curtains in gentle neutrals or bright pops of color. Remember to open the blinds and curtains covering your windows. Also, keep the glass nice and clean for the best view out and the best light coming in.
Nothing makes your home feel warm and inviting like sunny, bright rooms. It is easy to achieve a lightened home through a few simple tips and tricks that, once followed, will bring cheeriness into your living spaces. Use these five chic design ideas to inspire you to make the right change to your decor!
