Whether we feel ready or not, it’s already winter, with shorter, darker days that can negatively affect our sleep patterns and mood. The good news is that we can avoid seasonal mood disorders by making our homes brighter with various arrangements…
Here are the experts’ best advice on easy decor changes to brighten up any room:
The color of the walls matters
The colors preferred, especially in an interior, can make a huge difference. A fresh coat of paint can instantly brighten up an area. Imagine a beautiful, off-white room. It’s shiny but not too shiny and matches just about anything. If you want a bright interior, pair white walls with a soft gray wood floor, white shutters and white or black lighting fixtures. Then add a large-scale bright picture to manipulate your mood.
Add mirrors for a secondary source of natural light
Lighting your home can be tricky when you don’t have the advantage of plenty of windows and therefore natural light, but we have a tip that will easily change the rules of the game. Hanging a medium mirror on the wall opposite an existing window can act as a secondary source of natural light that illuminates any home or apartment.
Pay attention to curtains
The easiest way to create a bright home is to get as much daylight as possible. Use a light-colored tulle as the first layer to balance natural light and high airflows. Tulles will enliven an entire room by filtering out sunlight on a cloudy day. Pair this sheer layer with a heavier curtain in neutral colors. You can also make the ceilings look taller by fixing the curtain rails and cornices as high as possible, thus brightening your space even more.
Turn to rich velvets and mohairs for textiles
Interior designers share common advice on choosing warmer colors for items like pillows and blankets. You may want to change your home textiles. Replacing your existing pillows and covers with materials like rich velvets and mohair is a great way to warm up the space both physically and visually.
Don’t be afraid of plants and colors
Add cheerful splashes of color or refreshing patterns to brighten the overall mood. The most important thing to note is that you should never compromise your personal taste for a popular trend. If you want glossy red curtains and lacquered black ceilings, you should never settle for less!
Make room for leafy greens in your home to help improving air quality and reducing stress levels. Besides, who doesn’t love flowers? Do not be afraid, there are some very easy-to-maintain alternatives that will accompany your life and home with almost no effort.
Move furniture away from windows
Decorators suggest experimenting with mirrors. Mirrors are highly decorative accessories. You can also put it opposite windows to reflect natural light and brighten the room, as we mentioned earlier. And again, move the furniture away from the windows so as not to block natural light.
Create contrast
Soft and light colors preferred for rugs or carpets, pillows and curtains can offer a more dynamic and bright living space by creating contrast to dark wooden floors, sofas and walls.
Invest in candles
As we struggle with cooler temperatures and darker days, one of our best tips is to not forget to invest in candles. Instead of trying to fight the darkness, you can turn it to your advantage. You can create a completely different ambiance with scented and decorative candles in areas that normally appear dark and gloomy.
Try a light therapy lamp
On dark winter days, another way to brighten your home and mood can be to get a light therapy lamp. Use your light at the recommended daily dose and feel more energetic, happier and more productive.
Fresh flowers always work
You can add decorative vases filled with fresh and especially colorful flowers to the most used rooms of the house. A little color is extremely effective for brightening up your home, and fragrances have a significant positive effect on mood.
Try wallpaper
Decorators suggest adding an unexpected touch to the ceiling with a glossy wallpaper to make the space look larger and more spacious than it actually is. If this experience is too ambitious for you, you can at least give a try to the easily removable paste-and-stick version and decide whether you like it or not.
Get as much morning light as possible
Aim to get as much natural light as possible. When the dark days come, start the morning by opening the curtains and blinds. Get as much natural and artificial light as possible in the morning, even turning on lights if needed. However, in the late afternoon and early evening, it’s time to drastically lower the light levels in the home. As bedtime approaches, make sure all bright and harsh lights are dimmed or turned off.
Add lighting layers to areas
Experts recommend adding layers of lighting to areas in your home to create quality shine. When observing the natural light that comes into a room during the day, consider all three types of layering options – ambient, task and accent lighting. Add several layers of lighting after identifying the shadows and dark corners in the room, paying attention to the way the room is used and the focal point.
Take action to combat seasonal sadness
As the days get shorter and darker, seasonal depression may become more palpable, but it’s up to you to prevent it. First of all, you should prevent clutter in your home. Anything extra that you don’t need will make you feel more emotionally heavy. Try to get rid of or recycle anything you don’t use. It is extremely effective in getting rid of unnecessary crowds, gaining more space to breathe and a feeling of freshness, and it also makes the said area look brighter.
You will also want to change your linens with white and lighter colors during the winter months.
Artworks can illuminate both the space and your mood
When you want to brighten up your home, there are few things more effective and stylish than a well-placed piece of art. Artwork in bright colors such as red, orange and yellow and materials that naturally reflect light, such as glass and metal, are the perfect way to beautify a space and add vitality and excitement to your life.
