12 Ways To Brighten Up Your Home Without Using Lights

Light is transformative, and there is no better way to see this than inside your home. A room with poor lighting looks sad, small, and dirty. The same room with perfect lighting can look stylish, clean, and vast. If you want to brighten up your home to enjoy the benefits of additional lighting, but don’t want the electric bill to increase, then you need to get creative.

To brighten up your home without adding additional lights, clean your windows and remove any obstructions that keep out natural light, like shrubs and tree branches. Open up your blinds and use sheer curtains for privacy. Consider painting your borders and accents with glossy paint, and add wall mirrors. Opt for light-colored furniture and rugs, and add throw pillows to add color. House plants can also brighten up any room.

If your home is darker than you can tolerate, then you’ve come to the right place. There are all sorts of ways you can make the rooms in your dwelling look much brighter, even without turning on a single light. Below is a list of the best DIY ways to add some much-needed light into your home without flipping a single light switch.

12 DIY Ways To Brighten Up Your Home Without Using Lights

1. Install Wall Mirrors

One easy and highly effective way to add light to any room is to add one or more wall mirrors to the space. Mirrors reflect light, which means they act as a natural and free light source as long as there is some light in the room.

Mirrors are easy to install and also serve a functional purpose. Ensure you choose the best spots in a room to reflect light from a practical and design perspective. There are even ways you can incorporate mirrors that can make rooms appear much larger than they are. This is great for those who want to make a room look bigger and brighter at the same time.

2. Use Glossy Paint On Borders And Accents

While most living spaces have a matte or eggshell paint finish, you may consider switching things up with a different type of paint to brighten up your darker spaces. A glossy or semi-gloss paint can help reflect the natural light in your room.

You don’t want all your walls to shine, but adding glossy paint to your trim, accents, or even furniture is a great way to add some shimmer to an otherwise dull space. It is also a cheap and very DIY-friendly way to add light to any room.

3. Choose A Lighter Wall Color

If you need to paint your walls anyway, then opt for a much lighter color than the current one. The darker your walls, the darker the room appears. Therefore, opt for light and bright colors like white, cream, or sky blue. 

In addition to adding light to your room, a light color will also help make your space look cleaner and bigger. This is a highly effective way to make a room look brighter, especially when natural light is limited.

4. Bring A House Plant Into The Room

House plants not only breathe life into any room in the form of oxygen, but they also brighten up any space you put them in. House plants bring natural tones into a room and make the space seem more alive.

There are many houseplants that thrive indoors with limited water and in limited light environments. Choose a plant that has large green leaves, and one that flowers is also a plus. 

5. Opt For Light-Colored Rugs And Furniture

If you don’t want to paint the interior of your home, consider swapping out dark furnishings for lighter ones. One easy way to make a room look lighter without lights is with a light-colored rug. If you have dark wood or tile floors, add a tan or natural-toned rug to help brighten up the floor.

If you need a new couch, choose a light color, as this will help make the room seem bright without any extra lighting.

6. Wash Your Windows

If you have windows in your home but your rooms still seem dark, then you probably need to wash them. Before you make any drastic changes to the home, you should give your windows a thorough wash and polish.

Regularly washing your windows can help make your room look much brighter. It also makes your view of the outside better and makes your home feel cleaner. Best of all, this is an easy and free way to make your home feel brighter.

7. Remove Blinds And Use Sheer Privacy Curtains

If you use blinds for privacy, there’s a good chance you are also keeping out almost all the natural light. Maintaining privacy from nosy neighbors is important, but it shouldn’t mean you have to sacrifice all your natural light.

Instead of blinds, install sheer curtains. There are many sheer curtains that allow in a substantial amount of light, but don’t allow neighbors to see inside your home. Sheer curtains also make rooms feel warm and cozy, which can add to the room’s appeal.

8. Use Bright Throw Pillows To Add Vibrant Color

Sometimes a dark room just needs a few pops of color to liven it up. Throw pillows are one of the easiest and most functional ways to add color and design to a dark and drab space. 

Choose a few different colors that make the room come alive. Throw pillows not only add light to a room, but they can also make your couch more comfortable to sit in.

9. Trim Outdoor Plants And Trees That Block Natural Light

In addition to washing your windows and removing blinds, you should also get rid of anything that's blocking natural light. Sometimes, trees grow so much that they block all light from entering your home.

In other instances, a shrub or vine needs to be trimmed back. In fall or early spring, you should trim back all plants that block your view of the sun. This will ensure your home gets as much natural light as possible.

10. Clean And Dust More Frequently

You’ll be surprised how much a bit of regular cleaning can brighten up a room. Polishing fixtures and wood floors will create a natural shine that will make a room glow. Removing layers of dust will make everything look several shades brighter.

If you find that your space feels dark but you aren’t sure why, increase the frequency with which you clean. This will help keep your home shining, and it can also help prevent many problems from developing in the home. 

11. Remove Clutter And Objects Blocking Windows

Clutter causes all sorts of problems, from insect infestations to design issues. It can even make your space look darker than it needs to be. This is especially true if you have objects blocking windows or taking up wall space that could be used for an accent mirror.

Take the time to remove clutter and unnecessary objects from your darker spaces. A more minimalist aesthetic will brighten up your space. It will also make your room look much larger than before.

12. Install Skylights Where You Can

If you have a bit of money to spend, you might want to consider finding ways to incorporate skylights where you can. For one, skylights can increase your property value, which makes them a worthy investment.

Furthermore, while they are costly up front, they decrease the amount of electricity you need to use moving forward, which slowly saves you money over time. They are also an amazing addition to just about any room.

Summing Up Ways To Brighten Up A Home Without Using Lights

If you want to brighten up your home without turning on more lights, start by cleaning your windows and trimming trees and shrubs that block the view. Swap out blinds for sheer curtains, and paint dark walls a lighter color. Add lighter colored furniture and rugs, and add bright accent pillows or house plants to add color. Remove clutter from your home, and try to dust and clean more frequently so your floors and fixtures always shine.

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