Sunday, March 18, 2018

5 Ways to Brighten Up Your Home - Get Ready for Spring and Summer the Easy Way

Brighten Up Your Space - Blonde Wood Flooring Opens Up the Room- Photo Via Pixabay
Where fall and winter had us craving darker, richer tones, spring and summer reverses that and brings out our need for a cleaner, leaner, brighter, fresher environment.

Go From Drab to Fab

When a total renovation is out of the question, you can still try any one of these five simple ideas to lighten and brighten your home:

1. Update Your Light Bulbs

You can acquire light bulbs in various shades. If you haven't tried 'Daylight' bulbs you'll want to give them a go. They emulate natural outdoor lighting and come in a number of styles, such as traditional, candle, spotlight, miniature and more. They're also useful for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

2. If Your Room is Already Lighter in Shades, Add Some Black or Charcoal Accents

Sounds weird doesn't it? However the darker accents help the lighter aspects to pop and become front and center in the room. Add them in subtle areas, not as major pieces. As example the book spines in a very white cabinet could be black (or darker colors), subtle wood trim in the room could be black or charcoal, as well as a few black picture frames. However the most effective use of this darker shade is in items that are thin or long - chair legs, long arms on lamps, or the pole of a floor lamp.

3. Wall Mount Lamps

These work well in bedrooms above the end table. Choose lamps with a light cheerful lamp shade and a dark base that attaches to the wall. The light lamp shade on a slightly contrasting wall can help encourage that blended feeling a bright room often exhibits. As an example, a coastal blue wall color and lovely large white lamp shade with a black arm and mount can look outstanding.

4. If Draperies Aren't Needed, Skip them, or Use them to Frame the Window

If you live in an private area and can leave your drapes open most of the time, then do that. If you plan on never or rarely ever closing the drapes, then you can either place a light drapery panel on each end, or go ahead and put a full set of drapes, essentially left open. Choose black or charcoal drapes to frame the window ends .... with white trim and black panels on each side, you'll add to that linear look of dark accents explained in point number two.

5. The Most Obvious: Decorate Using White

White reflects light back into the room. It doesn't absorb color. If you want to have the lightest room possible, paint the walls and ceiling white, keep the floors as light as possible and kick it up to another level of brightness by using white accents, lamps and even furnishings. In the case of a bedroom, this is a fairly easy project to tackle; white bedding, white rugs, white dressers, white end tables, and white lamps. Once you've tackled the main areas, then add light pops of color in metallic, gold or chrome.

There you have it, five simple ways to brighten up your home. Scroll to view these white items to add to a home:


If you decide these suggestions are too complicated, or too much work, just change the light bulbs, open the drapes and give the room a good clean. You could also temporarily remove dark area rugs for spring and summer. Exposed floors provide a lovely consistent flow through a space, and thus removing rugs can add to that open, crisp, bright design.


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8 comments:

  1. Good suggestions to lighten and brighten your home decor for Springtime. Time to chase the winter blues and dark days away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pat, I haven't started all my projects yet, but bit by bit hope to tackle the busy spring to do list

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  2. This gives a whole new definition to spring cleaning! I love all of your suggestions. While I have visually appreciated the dark detailing in a light room, I don't think I have ever intellectually considered it, but it definitely makes sense. I was just thinking last week how I wish I could have a white tufted leather couch. Decades ago we had a while leather couch and I loved it. Sadly, "white" and doggies don't make a great mix. Guess I better stick to the light bulbs and removal of rugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I totally agree with you with white being an impossible color with kids and pets - I couldn't go down that decorating road when the kids were little and still to this day know it wouldn't work with my gang. I'm more of a clean things up, change lighting, kinda spring cleaner.

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  3. Barbara, you're an absolute font of decorating wisdom! These are all wonderful recommendations. When we redecorated our living room, one of the biggest changes we made was to get rid of the drapes for our long "wall of windows" (nearly the entire wall is glass!) and replace them with pale ivory light-filtering shades. They instantly made the whole room brighter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margaret, I'll bet that really changed the look and feel of the room. Must look fantastic to have a wall of windows, how nice!

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  4. Such an interesting tip... to use black or charcoal accents! What a great idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn, that pop of opposite color can bring out all those lighter shades - but in a more linear way is the most effective for sure

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