Brighten Up a Small, Dark Room

With fewer and fewer daylight hours this time of year, and the Seattle-area trademark cloudy skies we’re known for around here, it’s understandable if certain rooms in your apartment are a little gloomy. But you can still make some changes to your apartment’s layout and décor, without breaking the bank, which can l add some much needed light to your home.

ApartmentTherapy.com last week published some great advice on getting more light into a small, dark room. Some of our favorite tips included:

Hang curtains at the edges of the windows. You can make a window appear larger by flanking it with floor-length curtains that visually extend into the wall. In this image from the Shade Store, a small window has a lot more presence because of the drapes.

Don't fill the room with too much furniture, and choose pieces with a small footprint that are visually lightweight. Low-profile furniture or pieces with legs (and open space underneath) will make a room seem larger. Image: Eames Chair from Room & Board. (Also notice how the artwork is hung a little lower to fit the scale of the room in this photo.)

Use accessories that emit and reflect light. If you don't have the space for floor or table lamps, use wall-mounted sconces (especially in areas that don't get a lot of light). Hang a mirror on a wall opposite a window to reflect light into the space.Ron's Hotel "Sweet" from the Smallest Coolest 2007 Contest makes good use of lamps and mirrors.

Click here to read the full article on ApartmentTherapy.com.