Simple ideas to lighten and brighten your home

Bathroom make overs don’t need to be expensive. By using a white or pale colour palette, installing a large mirror, a glass shower screen, a pedestal vanity and open shelving you can transform the room from feeling pokey to spacious. Replace the shower curtain with a glass shower screen and paint the walls white. You can even hire a professional painter to spray paint your out dated dark tiles. If you are renting and are unable to make structural changes you can always choose a pale tones for the shower curtain, towels and accessories to brighten the room.

Internal doors can block a lot of light from reaching into hallways. Replacing them with glass panel doors where possible is another way to let the light in. Some rooms such as bedrooms require privacy so in that instance a frosted glass door could be used. Internal walls could be replaced by either bi-folds, French doors or sliding doors with glass panels, enabling the light in and the noise out while also assisting with the heating and or cooling of the two rooms at once.

Period homes such as Victorian & Federation homes quite often have beautiful original dark timber walls, floors, doors and features which would be a shame to replace. But by replacing dark carpets, upholstery, soft furnishings and accessories with lighter colours you can create a fresher look while retain the elegance of a bygone era.

Architects can create clever designs to allow light into homes while retaining privacy. High set windows or fixed pane glass, glass bricks, glass ceilings, voids and glass stairwells are all ways in which to add light. The use of glass splash backs, floating benches, open cupboards and glass cupboard doors will transform any kitchen into a pleasant area in which to work and entertain.

There is a wide range of companies that manufacture and install window coverings such as plantation style shutters, blinds and curtains. Each having an effective way to allow light in when you want it and light out when you don’t. You should easily find a style that will suit your home, its décor and your budget.

A dark room can be oppressive and depressing but the use of some of these simple yet cost effective ideas will brighten your living spaces and give your home a more uplifting and cheerful atmosphere, making it more pleasant to live in and more pleasant for your family & friends to visit. You may need the help of professionals such as a colour consultant, interior decorator, carpenter, painter or glazier so head to our Home Improvement directory to find the right tradesperson in your area.

To find a professional who can assist you, search our home improvement directory.