Brighten up your space
Do you live in the NW and dread the dark winter hours? These tips may help brighten things up in your home.
- As popular as the darker granite and marble may be, and how they can really add nice and warm contrast to your space, avoid replacing horizontal surfaces with dark materials if lighting is limited. This goes for both the counter and floor no matter what material. Darker colors will diminish the light output from your fixtures causing you to add brighter lighting or even more fixtures. Imagine the difference that your headlights are at night when it is dry out, then imagine when it is raining and everything is wet. Much darker when wet. Same principle, light needs reflective surfaces.
- Wall surface is of course something that can be changed even when your not remodeling. Change the paint color to something that may be brighter and more reflective. Avoid darker tones on the majority of the room but use one as an accent on a smaller wall if there is a need for some contrast.
- Add contrast in small accents, it will visually trick the mind to thinking that the room is brighter when trim, fixtures or cabinet pulls are darker colors.
- Add a window if the space allows or a skylight if there Is not a second floor above. If you have a solid door to the exterior upgrade it with one that has glass.
- Select the appropriate lighting for the areas you use. Task lighting should be well thought out, think of how the space will be used. Use a combination of direct lighting with surface mounts or hanging that flood the space. Try indirect to accent the room, often it will give an appearance that the room is larger.
- One last key component is the color of your cabinets. If you plan on replacing them or refinishing them consider a light color wood with light stain or just simply paint them white. White is still ascetically okay these days if combined with creative hardware, wall paint, floor and counter material.
Remember to think ahead when selecting your surfaces and ask if this will create too much gloomy darkness for my space.
