Ever taken a photo of your space and no matter how many interior design rules you’ve followed, it just doesn’t look like those bright, airy apartments you see all over Pinterest? Well, do you know what is the key to an instagram worthy pic? LIGHT. And it’s no surprise that we all love natural light, but not all of us are blessed with it in the home. Sometimes, our rooms can just seem dark and dingy compared to the photos we pine over on our favourite blogs. Did you know as well that lighter spaces have endless positive impacts on our wellbeing such as aiding better moods and can even make us more productive by 18%? Therefore, it should be a no brainer that making your space brighter is of the utmost importance. So, we’ve teamed up with rental guru’s Essential Living to share a few clever tricks you can adopt in your space which will make the most of the natural light and brighten up your home in no time. After all, they know all about bright spaces with their amazing London apartments!
Mirrors
Mirrors are a crafty tool which not only look great in a space, but also serve a practical purpose in beaming natural light around a room. They help to fill a space with light by reflecting the light around the room and work especially well when positioned opposite a window. This will provide maximum impact with very little effort. So we urge you to be brave with your mirror choices – go big and bold in style. Additionally, don’t be afraid to use multiple mirrors in one room.
Paint Colours
For the ultimate light upgrade, grab that paintbrush and get layering on the light, airy colours. Although deeper, moody shades are striking and beautiful in their own right, if we are limited for space, then there’s no doubt that choosing a lighter wall colour will instantly brighten an area. Saying that, if dark colours are your thing, make sure you paint the whole space dark, including the ceiling to really bring depth and the illusion of a never-ending space.
Top Tip:
Try using a paint with a high-gloss sheen in a dingy area that lacks natural light as it’s reflective surface bounces more light around a space.
Use Glass or Reflective Furniture
To make a space brighter, use furniture made from materials that are as reflective as possible. Glass is a great one for coffee tables or dining tables or even on the fronts of cabinets to bounce light and reflection around.
Use Furniture on Legs or Less Clunky Pieces
By having furniture on legs or weightless items, you’re allowing more light to travel through, under and around the object. Thus, this tricks the eye into thinking the space is not only bigger but brighter too. Try pouffe’s, coffee tables & shelving units on legs or that are weightless in appearance for maximum impact.
Carefully pick your Window Treatments
Window treatments can make or break a room, so they must be thought through carefully. When enhancing the natural light in a space, the appearance of dark and heavy curtains, even when drawn, can have a negative effect on an already dark space. Therefore, if a room does not need to be pitch black at night, consider sheer curtains such as a voile material, to allow the sun to peep through.
Top Tip:
Hang your curtains a little higher than you would normally expect. This gives maximum clearance around the window for the light to stream in, and gives the illusion that your ceilings are higher.
If you’re in the market for a modern, well serviced apartment in some of London’s finest locations, head over to our friends at Essential Living to see what sort of epic apartment you could be living in. All Essential Living buildings across London come equipped with spacious communal areas including; roof terraces, dining rooms, lounge areas and libraries – giving their residents that little more extra space to host. Oh, and did we mention they’re pet friendly and usually have roof terraces with panoramic views capable of making any friend instantly envious!?
Also, for rental inspo from Essential Living, gve them a follow on Instagram @essentiallivinghomes
So there you have it. Our top tips for injecting some much-needed light into your home environment. Hopefully these will not only brighten up your home but brighten up your day!
Gude at Watermark Homes
Yes! Great tips, thanks for sharing.
And a bonus one – CLEAN your windows and trim any overhanging foliage, branches etc outside to let in maximum daylight.
B3 Scaffolding
Great read! Thanks for posting!