Adding light to dark rooms doesn’t mean knocking down walls or fitting new windows. Swapping in furniture and fabrics that reflect light can completely change how a space feels. Dark colours and heavy textures tend to weigh a room down, while lighter tones and carefully chosen materials help bounce light around and open things up.
If you’re looking for furniture that can make a dark room brighter, check out our range of luxury furniture, including sofas, sofa beds, ottomans, footstools and more.
6 Tips On How To Brighten A Dark Room
Sometimes, all it takes is a few small tweaks to make a big difference in brightening up a dark room. From using matte instead of gloss, to adding something as simple as a mirror, our 6 easy tips can help you add light to the darkest corners of your home.
1. Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
As well as being decorative, mirrors can reflect natural and artificial light to make a room feel brighter. So, if your rooms aren't getting enough light throughout the day, adding a few mirrors can easily remedy that. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book for a reason; it works!
Position your mirrors directly across from windows and other sources of natural and artificial light in your rooms. That way, when the light does shine in, your mirrors will be there to catch it and ping it back. Not to mention, mirrors also make small rooms feel infinitely bigger.
We’d also recommend thinking about using mirrored furniture or decorative pieces with reflective surfaces, even a mirrored tray on a coffee table can make a difference.
2. Re-expose Your Windows
Anything that hangs in front of your window will limit the amount of light that passes through. If you have curtains, opt for lighter fabrics in softer colours and tie them back during the day to let in as much sunlight as possible.
Likewise, fully roll up any blinds and keep your windowsills clear of clutter because plants, decor, or even furniture can block the light from getting in. A quick trim of any trees, branches, or ivy outside can also make a huge difference by allowing more natural light to flood in. And don’t forget to give your windows a good clean; even the smallest layer of dust or grime can dull the light trying to shine through.
For those who love privacy but don't like dark rooms, consider installing frosted glass or lightweight, semi-transparent blinds that still brighten up dark rooms, but they also give you a little more privacy.
3. Go Matt, Not High-Gloss
It’s easy to assume that high-shine materials will help reflect more light, but surprisingly, they can have the opposite effect. Glossy finishes often diffuse light in different directions, making a glossy finish less effective in brightening up a dark room.
Matte finishes, on the other hand, do a better job at bouncing light back into a space, giving the room a fresher and lighter feel. We’d recommend considering using matte paints on your walls and ceilings to get the best result.
Even your furniture can make a difference; you should choose furniture with softer, matte surfaces rather than shiny ones. This subtle shift can transform how light moves around your room, giving it a more natural feel.
To explore different fabric textures and see how lighter, matte finishes can brighten up a dark room, you can order some free fabric samples.
4. Use Uplighters To Create Light
Another quick and easy fix for brightening up dark rooms is to install uplighters. Unlike traditional table lamps or ceiling lights, uplighters reflect light towards the ceiling.
Research shows that the direction of a light source has a direct bearing on its effectiveness. Wall-mounted or freestanding, uplighters are incredibly effective at eliminating shadows and making rooms feel taller and airier. We’d recommend placing them in corners or behind large furniture to bounce light off the walls and ceiling.
5. Ditch The Wall Art
As much as we love personalising our rooms with artwork, too much can actually make a room feel darker. Paintings, prints, and photos absorb light rather than reflect it, especially if they’re framed with dark borders or covered with glass.
If your room feels a little gloomy, consider scaling back on wall art. Swap dark frames for lighter ones or replace some artwork with mirrors to help reflect more light around the room. If you’re not ready to ditch the art entirely, try rearranging pieces to avoid clustering too many in one area. This lets light flow more freely across your walls.
6. Decorate in white
When it comes to reflecting light, no colour does it better than white. Giving your walls a fresh coat of white paint can make a massive difference. It helps to create a clean, open feel while also helping light bounce around, creating the illusion of more space, even in smaller rooms.
But it doesn’t stop at the walls. Consider swapping out dark furniture for pieces in lighter shades. White or light wood furniture can brighten up a room, while furnishings like cushions, throws, and rugs in neutral tones can make your room look that much brighter. Even small touches, like white picture frames or light-coloured lampshades, can make a noticeable difference.
Our Lighter Fabric Sofas
Your sofa can also play a big role in brightening a room. Opting for lighter sofa fabrics helps reflect light, giving your room a more open and airy feel.
Our Top Sofa Picks:
The Atworth Sofa Bed: Upholstered in our Cotton Dove Linen fabric, it reflects natural light beautifully. Finished with wooden legs and paired with light, textured throws, it’s perfect for brightening up darker spaces.
The Fyfield Sofa Bed: Upholstered in a soft, beige fabric, it perfectly complements light and open spaces, and reflects natural light beautifully. The clean lines and plush cushions are accented by muted pastel throws and pillows, making it a perfect centrepiece for brightening up larger rooms.
Popular Lighter Shade Fabrics:
- Argent (House Linen) – This fabric is part of our House Linen collection, containing hardwearing fabrics composed of 100% manmade fibres. This fabric, in particular, and its light and breathable qualities, make it perfect for a fresh, clean, and bright look.
- Alabaster (Stain Resistant Cotton) – This fabric is part of the Stain Resistant Cotton collection, and offers a soft, textured feel that adds depth to your sofa or sofa bed while keeping things bright.
- Fossil (House Velvet) – This fabric is part of our House Velvet collection and offers comfort and light-reflecting qualities, ideal for creating cosy yet bright interiors.
The fabrics above are just examples, if you’re unsure about which fabric suits your space best, you can always order some free fabric samples to see which ones best suit your home.
Start Creating a Brighter Room Today
Brightening up a dark room doesn’t have to involve major renovations or costly upgrades. With a few clever tricks, like choosing lighter fabrics and strategically using mirrors, you can transform even the darkest of rooms into light-filled spaces.
Small changes, from opting for a matte finish over high-gloss to decluttering your windows, can make a world of difference. And don’t forget the power of colour, a fresh coat of white paint or lighter furniture choices can completely refresh a room’s atmosphere.
If you want to get started on brightening up any dark rooms in your home, start by taking a look at our sofas and sofa beds, all of which are available in lighter fabrics to brighten up your living room.
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