I’m a home interior expert – my mirror rule and four tips to keep your home brighter this winter as darker days hit
KEEPING your home feeling bright and cosy can be a bit of a struggle in the winter months.
The clocks went back last week, meaning that as winter approaches we’re getting even fewer hours of daylight.
And many of us are struggling with the long and dark night that makes everything feel a little doom and gloom.
Not only that, but it can also leave you with disrupted sleep patterns, moods, and diets.
But an interior design expert has shared their five tips to make your home feel lighter and brighter this winter in a bid to beat the blues.
Sarah Lloyd, from Valspar Paint, has explained that you can make a few simple changes to keep your home fresh.
1. Position your lighting
It might seem like an obvious one, but Sarah has revealed that where you put your lights can make a huge difference.
And she advises using a specific technique of “layering” to get the best effect.
Sarah said: “Perhaps the most obvious way of making a dark room brighter is to add more artificial lighting, a particularly important tactic if you don’t have many windows or have north-facing windows.
“Layering light is an important step to introducing more light in the winter, wall and floor lamps, table-side lamps, and decorative lights (think fairy lights and candles) are all great ways to introduce more light without creating a harsh or sterile interior.”
2. Choose colours carefully
Making sure you pick the right colours for your home is also an important step in ensuring that it feels bright.
Experts suggest: “While very on-trend, dark paint colours in rooms which don’t receive a lot of natural light are going to work against you in the coming months.
“Lighter paint colours are an easy way to distribute light or create the illusion of airy space.
“Try a soft cream colour on your walls or a white shade with orange and yellow tones to mimic that glowy sunlit look in the home.”
3. Mirrors
It might not be something you’ve thought about – but experts say a mirror can go a long way in brightening up a room.
Sarah advises: “To get the most out of decorating with mirrors, you should place them in positions to reflect as much light as possible.
“In rooms with windows, for example, mirrors should be hung adjacent to or on the opposite wall to rebound the light around the room as it first enters.”
4. Greenery
Another way to keep your home bright and fresh during the winter is by bringing in some greenery.
Plants and flowers can add a vibrant touch to any room and make it feel more textured.
Experts revealed: “Adding in some plants and flowers to the home provides a pop of life, making the space appear more vibrant and textured.
“If natural light is a big problem in your home, opt for fake plants or plants that don’t require a large amount of light exposure (e.g. Snake Plant and Chinese Evergreen).”
5. Change up your furniture colour
If you have dark furniture in your home, then it makes sense that it will make the room feel darker as a result.
But Sarah has told how that you don’t need to go out and replace all of your hard-end furnishings.
All you need is a lick of paint to give it a new, brighter look.
She said: “Big and dark furniture eats up the light and space within a room.
“Give any pieces of furniture a seasonal refresh by switching from dark colours to light and warmer colours.
“This can be done by painting cupboards, tables, and chairs with light colours.
“With this trick, the feeling of lightness in the room increases immediately.”