5 Home Improvement Ideas to Brighten Up Your Space

Looking for home improvement ideas? Even those with a keen eye for esthetic can often overlook improvements that can be made for their home lighting. A well-lit space makes all the difference when it comes to creating a cheerful and beautiful home. And brightness is not just about changing the kind of light bulbs you use — it’s about the big picture.

Here are a few ways to shed a little light on the subject.

1. Take a walk outside.

Overgrown trees or shrubs near your windows could be blocking some of the natural sunlight trying to illuminate your favorite rooms. Take a walk around your house and notice where you could do some pruning to clear foliage. The results can be quite dramatic.

2. Refresh the walls and ceilings

A fresh coat of paint makes all the difference. Find a lighter, brighter hue that will reflect both the natural and the artificial lighting in any room. This is also an inexpensive DIY fix that can make a tremendous impact on the look of any room.

3. Add a mirror.

The more shiny surfaces you can add to your home, the lighter it will appear. Sprucing up the walls with a large mirror is an easy and cheap fix that anyone can do it. The mirror will not only bounce light across the room but will also add depth that breaks up claustrophobic wall planes. Try adding mirrors opposite from your windows to reflect light (both natural and artificial) all around the room. This can make even the smallest room seem large and a dark space instantly brighter.

4. Brighten up your flooring.

That outdated carpet or dark-colored floors could be absorbing the natural light in your home. Not to mention, it could be making your home appear smaller. If this sounds familiar, it may be time to consider installing new flooring. Recent trends in flooring include natural-looking surfaces that may appear to be wood or stone but are actually easy to clean and maintain. Flooring installation can be a fairly easy DIY project once you’ve cleared the furniture out of the room. The latest flooring options also feature many lighter and brighter tones which can really lift the mood, even in your darkest rooms.

5. Evaluate your lighting.

Assess the lighting in each room, with an eye toward improvement. There are many lighting options available, but there’s no denying that the best light is natural light. Sunlight causes your brain to produce serotonin, so you feel more energized, happier and less stressed. More advanced and less pricey than traditional skylights, Tubular skylights (or daylighting) are the modern way to let the light in. With our Solatube daylighting, captured light moves through tubing made of highly reflective material, maintaining brightness even around corners. Gorgeous, diffused natural light is delivered through stylish fixtures for maximum visual comfort and aesthetics. There are even options for brightening, dimming, and even intelligent solar nighttime lighting. Transforming your space with a daylighting system only takes two hours and requires no major modifications to your home.

An alternative to adding daylighting to your home is to improve upon the sources of natural light you already have in your home. Do you have skylights? Now, are those skylights foggy or weathered? Updating your outdated skylights is a fantastic way to increase the amount of light entering your space. Not to mention, by replacing your skylights, you’ll be avoiding future leaks, damage. Solatube Home even offers energy-efficient, UV blocking glass skylights that prevent heat-gain into your home or fading of your furniture.

Home improvement doesn’t have to be daunting. With some careful strategizing and a few DIY fixes, you can transform the darkest corners of your home into much brighter, more cheerful and welcoming spaces. Take the time to take a step back and assess each room and design solutions that will bring more sunshine into your life.

For more information on how to improve the amount of daylight in your home, contact a Solatube Home representative in your area.

San Diego County: 619-375-1629
Orange County: 714-266-1882
Los Angeles County: 323-649-6526