Tips to Brighten Up your Home

Written by: Sandra Asdourian - Sandra Asdourian Interiors

As Autumn approaches and the days get shorter. We thought we’d share a few design tips to brighten up your home. The following are just a few suggestions to bring more light and brightness to any room in your house.

As seen on Sandra Asdourian Interiors.

How to Brighten up Your Home with These Design Tips

Brightening up your home is not just about turning on a few lights or opening the blinds. As an Interior Design Professional, there are a few design tips we use that will help transform your home.

• Choose a paint color with a high “Light Reflectance Value”. For instance, a color’s Light Reflectance Value (LRV) measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from or absorbs a painted surface. Simply put, LRV measures the percentage of light a paint color reflects. In addition, using a paint color with a higher LRV will bring brightness to the darkest room. Also, use paint colors that are in cooler tone colors, eg. blue, gray, mint green, crisp whites, and pink.

Adding a Mirror: It’s almost like adding a Window

• Add a mirror to reflect the light from a window on the opposite side of the room. Because by adding a mirror on the wall opposite a wall with a window. It will reflect the natural light back into the room. For instance, a decor idea would be to install one large mirror or hang several smaller mirrors together as in a gallery wall design for more brightness.

• Use an ivory color rug. I know it sounds simple. But this one change can make a huge difference in the brightness of a room.

• Use white or light color drapery. As a result, by using white sheers or drapery on your windows they appear the act as a bright lightbox and the whole room will be bathed in soft white light.

• Paint your kitchen cabinets white or light gray. Do you have dark wood kitchen cabinets? However, by painting the darker wood you would immediately brighten the kitchen. Also, for extra brightness add lighter countertops. There are several granites and quartzite countertops that look like marble and are highly reflective.

  * Bonus Tip*

  In conclusion, try adding silver, nickel, or brass metals to a room. The metal accessories will reflect the light around the room.