How To Maximize Light in a Dark, Dingy Apartment

September 27th, 2011 by Crystal Beran| Posted in Apartment Guide, Apartment Interiors, Apartment Life 2.0, Apartment Living, College Housing, Decorating, Etsy & DIY, Green Apartment Living, Off Campus Apartments, Saving Money, Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment »

One of the most important factors of decorating is controlling the light in a room. In an apartment, natural light, ambient light, task light and accent light should work together to make a room feel brighter. By selecting the appropriate light for a space or need, an apartment renter can make their apartment brighter and more vibrant. Here are some tips for maximizing all the light available in a room.

Natural Lighting

In an apartment, it may seem that there’s nothing that can be done to increase the amount of natural light that comes into a room. After all, the windows are where they are and there’s no way to knock out a part of a wall and make a new window when you’re a renter. There are however, some tricks people can use to increase the amount of natural light in an apartment. Renters can hang mirrors opposite windows in order to bounce more light around. Using light colored furniture and light paint can also help reflect light around. A wooden door can also be removed and replaced with a sheer curtain or clear door, especially if there is lots of light in one room that can help light up a room that is darker.

Ambient Lighting

In many apartments, ambient light in a room is provided by a single light hung from the center of the ceiling. This type of lighting can make a room seem too bright in the center and too dim around the edges. A similar problem is encountered when a single free-standing lamp is used to illuminate an entire room. In order to maximize the amount of ambient light, a couple of different light sources should be used. This helps spread the light out so that pockets of light and shadow are not created. When using multiple lamps, light bulbs that are less powerful can be used. Using low wattage bulbs also helps eliminate excessive brightness, making the light in the room more pleasing.

Task Lighting

Setting up a couple of task lights can also improve the overall lighting in an apartment. These lights make a specific area brighter which is especially useful when a person is reading or writing. Task lights should be placed in areas that they are needed and should be easy to turn on and off. This way, a task light is only turned on when it is needed, helping to save energy. It is also helpful to choose task lights that have flexible necks so that they can be refocused as needed. Choosing a bulb that is more powerful than the bulbs in the ambient lighting makes the task lights more effective.

Accent Lighting

Adding a few accent lights can do a lot to brighten up an apartment. These lights can help draw attention to art pieces, plants or books. Glass sculptures benefit a great deal from accent lighting because they reflect the light and sparkle, making a room feel more vibrant and alive. In most cases, these lights are small and do not need to be turned on all the time.

Have any tips for a light-filled apartment?  We’d love to hear from you–here or on our Facebook page!