Whether you live in a temperate zone, or the sun sets at 4 p.m. in winter, your home’s indoor lighting plays a vital role in your comfort and happiness. Here are tips for lighting your interior for bright, cheery season year-round.
1. Add diverse lighting
The classic solution! Placing two different light sources in a room adds variation and creates a more pleasant ambiance. One primary overhead light will do the trick, though some homeowners find it to be monotonous, and it sometimes overilluminates a space. A good fix? Layering lights. Floor and table lamps are excellent ways to add lighting to a room and enhance your favorite activity.
2. Consider your window treatments
Your choice of curtains or window treatments plays a significant role in your home’s feel, even when they’re wide open. Sheer, light-colored curtains can let in more light, block glare and give an airy atmosphere to the room. On the flip side, heavy light-blocking shades will block out nearly all natural light. But even open curtains can curtail your room’s light. If you want blackout options for sleeping, consider shades that you can push all the way up.
3. Install a mirror
Sometimes the best lighting tricks don’t even involve lights. For example, adding a mirror to a room will open it up and reflect more light. If you position it across from another mirror, it creates the effect of another window in the room. Hanging one next to an existing light source will kick your room’s light up another notch.
