Simple ways to brighten up a room

Our terraced cottage is over 100 years old and therefore has very thick walls and low ceilings and at times can feel quite dark especially with the summer day's gone and autumn here it's important to inject as much light into our living spaces as possible and it's something I have been working on for a while and thought I would share my top tips with you on how to brighten up even the smallest of spaces.

1. Keep it simple - don't clutter a small area, especially not with dark furniture. Keep your spaces simple and light, the less things you have the more space it creates allowing for light to flow better and feeling less cramped. Also add a few pops of colour to uplift the room.

2. Hang some mirrors - I know you have probably heard this before but they really are the easiest way to reflect natural light into a room and you can have more than one reflective surface in a room and they are also perfect for those awkward spaces such as hallways or landings.

3. Paint your room - not only can a new lick of paint make a room feel fresh and renewed but can also changed the whole feel of the place. If your room lacks natural light don't go with a dark shade as this will only make it more suppressive instead opt for something light although also be careful as white can feel quite cold, perhaps something like Jasmine-white which has a slight touch of warmth to it.

Clean lines & light paint makes a small room seem bright and airy

4. Add some colour with a pot plant - bringing nature into the home not only adds some colour but also helps to freshen a space up, clean the air and make for a natural centre point, it also helps the brain connect with the outdoors and the idea of space making smaller rooms feel more spacious.

5. Don't have bulky furniture - instead opt for smaller, simple, well designed pieces of furniture in a light shade as large furniture can take up a lot of floor space and can make a room feel dark and crowded.

6. Savvy storage and seating - as I have just said keep bulky furniture to a minimum and invest in things that are well designs, practical and save you space, why not combine storage and seating with a stylish storage benches such as this one from Lions Home

Of course most of us would love to live in a beautiful bay fronted high ceiling Victorian home with large windows and lots of natural light flowing in each morning but that is not possible for a lot of people but we can all improve and make do with the spaces we have in a cost efficient way. Remember even small changes can have a big impact.

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