10 Lighting Tips to Brighten Your Home

When it comes to setting the mood and making a home cozy, lighting can play an important role. To make your home feel welcoming and uniquely your own, you need to know how to illuminate your spaces according to your individual tastes and needs. However, balancing style, ambiance, and functionality is more challenging than it may sound. Fortunately, we’ve collected 10 essential tips to help you fix your home illumination issues. Keep reading to learn how to add more light to even the darkest nooks and crannies in your home!

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1. Clean windows, light fixtures, and bulbs.

Before adding a bunch of new lamps and light fixtures around your home, start by deep cleaning your windows. Washing windows is one of those chores that often gets neglected, and thus, it’s easy for dirt and grime to build up, which blocks out precious natural light. Dust can also accumulate on light bulbs and fixtures, dimming their shine. Clean your windows, light fixtures, and bulbs regularly to boost the brightness in your home and make the most of every existing light source.

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2. Utilize reflective surfaces. 

Mirrors and metallic decorations can significantly brighten a room when positioned just right. Mirrors enhance existing light by reflecting it onto other surfaces, so place them across from windows to illuminate your space. Decorating with mirrors is also a fantastic way to make a room your own, as there are countless different shapes, sizes, and styles to choose from that add personal flair to a space. Mirrors also create the illusion of more space—if you have a small, cramped room in your home, add a mirror or two to make it appear more spacious.

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3. Consider a lighter color palette. 

Lighter colored paints, rugs, and furniture can brighten up a space and make it feel more open. Warm white, cream, and soft neutral paints in particular have a higher light reflectance value (LRV) than darker colors, meaning light bounces off of them more easily. Similarly, light-colored furniture and floor coverings make a room feel less heavy and crowded by adding brightness. You can also add more illumination to a room by choosing a highly reflective paint finish. Try an eggshell or satin finish for a more subtle reflectance or a semi-gloss or gloss finish for maximum radiance.

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4. Get rid of heavy blinds, curtains, and shades. 

Heavy curtains are useful for blocking natural light at night but can also be a barrier to light when we want more illumination during the day. Give sheer curtains a try instead, or go without curtains entirely! If blackout curtains are a necessity, try buying a brighter color. Alternatively, you could install motorized shades to let the light in during the day and keep it out at night. When selecting a lampshade, opt for a light color like cream or pale pink. Light-colored shades help diffuse light throughout your space, while dark-colored shades keep the light more contained.

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5. Trim outdoor foliage. 

Believe it or not, your landscaping can also significantly impact the lighting in your home. When trees, bushes, and other plants become overgrown, they can block natural light from reaching your windows, decreasing the luminance of your rooms. Make sure to trim your trees regularly to prevent them from obstructing the sunlight, or if they have become too large to trim, try relocating them further from your windows.

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6. Add lamps. 

If you still need more illumination after maximizing all of the existing light sources in your home, lamps are a simple way to add more brightness to any room. Put an oversized lamp in your living room to light up a dark corner, or set a smaller lamp on your bedside table to make reading at nighttime easier on your eyes. Lamps are also a great solution for brightening a room with little overhead lighting. Plus, they’re functional and can add a fun design element.

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7. Use candles. 

Candles are another option to add light and ambiance to your home. The soft glow from candles doesn’t provide a ton of extra brightness, but they certainly create a calming atmosphere when lit. Just make sure you don’t leave candles burning while you’re sleeping or when you’re not home, and keep them out of reach of children and pets to keep your loved ones safe. Battery-operated, ‘flameless’ candles are also a great option to add ambiance while maintaining the safety of your home!

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8. Remove your window screens. 

For those who love opening their windows and letting fresh air in, window screens perform an essential role: keeping pesky bugs out of your home. However, removing window screens can massively increase natural lighting. You can also remove your window screens seasonally when it becomes too hot or too cold to leave your windows ajar. If it’s too much of a hassle to remove window screens, giving them a deep clean will also allow more light to filter in. 

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9. Replace your old bulbs. 

Light bulbs dim over time, so if you find a space in your home that isn’t as bright as it used to be, replace the light bulbs in that area to restore its usual illumination level. Try swapping your light bulbs for more energy-efficient models that last longer—they’re more convenient and better for the planet. In addition to its environmental benefits, bulbs marked with an “Energy Star” label help save money by minimizing energy usage by close to 75 percent. 

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10. Use multiple light sources in every room. 

When brightening your home, the golden rule is to incorporate at least three different light sources in every room. For optimal balance, mix and match the three basic types of lighting: general, specific, and ambient light sources. General light sources such as overhead lighting, desk lamps, and under-cabinet lighting target a specific area to provide overall illumination; while ambient light sources like candles, wall sconces, and other decorative forms of lighting add atmosphere and character to a room. Together, these light sources can help you achieve the level of luminance you’re looking to achieve. 

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Proper lighting can completely transform a room’s functionality and atmosphere. Try out these tips and tricks to let light into the darkest spaces of your home! 

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A Better Living Experience

At Bridge Homes, we believe everyone deserves a quality home. Embrace the comfort, convenience, and quality of our rental properties. With thousands of high-quality rental homes in desirable neighborhoods nationwide, Bridge Homes makes finding your next home a breeze. 

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If you’re searching for your next rental home, don’t forget to check out our listings! 

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Sources:

19 Secrets for Getting Good Lighting in Every Spot Around Your Home

Eight EASY Ways to Add Light to a Room

How to Add Light to Your Room

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