Bright, light, and airy. Sounds cheery to me! When you need to lighten up your space
without considering a remodel, think about these bright ideas to do just the
trick.
You cannot go wrong with lamps. Whether you add a floor lamp to the corner of
a darker room or add two standard lamps to a sofa table or buffet piece along
the wall, bringing your lighting down from the ceiling level with add both
light and warmth to your space. And
going beyond the one lamp on the living room end table will add more lighting
diffused throughout the room. Update
your bulbs to brighter daylight versions and lighten the material of your lamp
shade choices to create even more ambiance.
Use part of your wall space to
hang mirrors, which visually open up a room while reflecting light back from
windows and doors. A large portrait-size
mirror on larger, open wall space or a cluster of smaller decorative mirrors
both offer form and function, brightening and decorating at the same time. Positioning them in well-lit spots helps
carry their lightening effects around the room.
Light reflecting accent pieces
like side tables, trays, benches, wall art, and accessories with metallic
finishes can also help bounce your lighting around a given space. Mirrored legs, glossy frames, and shiny
surfaces in gold, silver, champagne, and nickel finishes all contribute to a
brightening enhancement. Consider this
method for your living room seating area, a dining room sideboard, a narrow
entryway, and any shelf or surface in need of a boost.
Light a few candles and relax in
a space that can easily be lightened and brightened without any drastic or
harsh steps being taken. Soft, warm
light generously reflected can be a beautiful, glowing thing to soak up.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 5th.
