As an Instagram addicted blogger, having a bright home is pretty high on my list of necessities; it’s nestled in right above easily accessible caffeine and just below futuristic speed wi-fi. This is because I spend so much time taking pictures inside my house – I really have become totally light-obsessed. Most of the design decisions made during our renovation have been driven in some way by this obsession. The outcome; the renovated part of our house feels so nice to be in (and not just because it’s really pretty). Natural light has this amazing ability to make you feel happy, don't you think? Apparently it's also awesome for good sleep.
One – Choose light colours
The most effective way to brighten up your place is to decorate with as many light colours as possible. Go for white paint on the walls and ceilings and make sure you choose light coloured flooring, window coverings and cupboard doors. If you’re not looking to renovate – don’t stress. You can still get the same effect with homewares. A light coloured tablecloth or floor rug will pretty effectively brighten up a dull corner, white bed covers will bounce the light around a bedroom and a bright throw rug will combat the light-suck that can happen with darker lounges. Of course brightly coloured items will liven up a place too, but first you want to focus on getting the light levels right up.
Two – Mirrors
Ok, now it’s time to get crafty. If you want the light to literally bounce around, some thoughtfully positioned wall mirrors are going to help you. Just look at where the sunshine is streaming in and craftily insert a giant mirror in the right spot to redistribute that light around the room.
Three – Bring some plants inside
Leaves and flowers inside a house just make it feel brighter. They literally and figuratively breathe air into the space. If you go for something like a Peace Lily it will not only look beautiful but actually purify the air too. Best to try keep them alive though; dead plants tend to have the opposite effect.
Four – Trim the garden away from the windows
You may want to consider what’s in the garden. Deciding to cut down the huge Camellia tree just outside our living room absolutely killed me but it had to be done. It was completely covering the only window in the front half of our house. When I finally bit the bullet I could not believe the difference it made. The light just pours in now. So if you have any bushes that are really close to your windows, maybe consider a trim.
Five – Wash the windows
Sorry to bring it up but you may want to give them a scrub. Clean windows are the type of thing no one really sees but everyone feels. It sounds a bit ridiculous but dirty windows can bring the light level in you house right down. It’s like a layer of tint and you want to lose that ASAP! I can't remember the last time I did it though…
This post originally appeared here.
I had kind of given up on our place because we’re not renovating and it is ALL brown. It’s a bit like living in a poo vortex. This post has given me some home and some top tips to make Brown Town look a bit more like Bright City.
We will finally have white walls in just a couple of weeks! This makes my heart so happy. No more walking into a cave when i come home-which is horribly depressing. Even the exterior of our house is going to be white! We’ve ordered a new lounge which is ‘coffee’ coloured-i did prefer the lighter option but with munchkin still in her messy toddler stage i thought it was too risky. I’ll just have to go shopping for some light coloured cushions.