Let Light Into Your Living Room with These Three Design Tricks

The design of a room impacts the mood and productivity of those who spend time in it. While a dimly lit bedroom with blackout window treatments serves a purpose for those who like to sleep in late or those who can’t sleep in luminous environments, nobody aspires to have a dark living room.

Two ways to introduce light into your living room are to maximize the natural light coming in from the outside and to invest in and strategically arrange lighting fixtures. If you want to brighten up your living room without physically introducing more light, here are several decorating tricks you can employ. 

Decorate with Mirrors

Mirrors, white walls, and other reflective surfaces can make your living room feel lighter and larger. One design trick with mirrors is arranging them in a way that reflects natural light coming in from outside, which can create the illusion a room is being flooded with twice as much sunlight as is actually coming in. If there is a window in your living room that receives a lot of sun exposure, hang a mirror on the wall directly across from it. In the right settings, this can actually make it feel as if there is an additional window in the room.

You can use mirrors to reflect light emanating from lighting fixtures as well. Just be sure to place the mirror far enough away from the fixture so the bulbs are not reflected in the mirror, as this can generate a blinding effect.

Use Indoor Plants

Indoor plants can foster a more natural-feeling environment, improve air quality, and enhance the design of an apartment living room. It’s probably the fact that they are alive, but something about plants can really liven up a space. Just about any plant or herb that can thrive inside will improve the atmosphere. Light green succulents and herbs that have plenty of space between leaves and branches for light to filter through can make the biggest impact when it comes to brightening up a space.

Aloe vera, burro’s tail, and jade are three succulents especially adept at bringing more light to a room’s atmosphere. Hanging or otherwise arranging plants in the parts of your living room that get the most natural light will ensure your plants get the sunlight they need and draw attention to that light, generating the impression the room is brighter.

Update or Rearrange Accessories

Everything needed to bring more light to your design may already be present in your living room, but sometimes a bit of decluttering and rearranging is needed. Tidy, well-kept spaces tend to capture light better than those with cluttered designs. If you are into minimalism, having just a few decorative items with plenty of space separating them can  make a little bit of light go a long way. If the shelves and cubes are overcrowded with books and trinkets, box up some of them and leave only the items you are proudest to display. Display them artfully, and keep in mind that blank space in your home’s storage areas is not a bad thing.

Brightening up your space is affordable and can be a fun endeavor. Yes, we can buy more artificial lights, but try some of the design tricks we’ve shared to bring more light into your living room.

Have you done something creative that has made your apartment living room feel lighter and brighter? Share your ideas below!