The Best Ways to Fake Natural Light in a Dark Space

If you have a particularly dark room in your home, getting enough light to make it feel comfortable can be challenging. Since natural light can make a huge difference in opening up a space and making it feel lively, it’s time to fake it so you can get the warmth and brightness you’re looking for.

Add multiple light sources

To create the illusion of brighter, broad-spectrum light, use multiple light sources. In addition to regular lamps, you can try adding a daylight therapy lamp, some recessed lighting, or under-cabinet lighting. Using a mix of lighting types and making sure that light is visible from multiple angles can help make a dark room brighter and fake the feeling of natural sunlight. Using warm and cool light tones together can also help make your space feel brighter.

Add reflective surfaces

To amplify the light in your space, you can add objects that will catch light and reflect it. Using mirrors, gloss paint, and metallics is a good way to do this. Shiny objects will glow and sparkle, giving your limited light a broader array of angles it can be visible from. Even smaller tchotchkes can help add some shiny brightness to a darker space. Consider arranging your shiny surfaces both vertically, on shelves and wallpaper, as well as horizontally, on tabletops or other surfaces. This will allow the light they reflect to hit your eye from multiple angles, creating a brighter space.

Use the light you have

If you have windows, allow as much light to come through them as possible. Using sheer curtains that don’t block all of the light coming in through a window and avoiding placing furniture in front of the windows are good ways to let in as much light as possible. Make sure that shrubs and plants outside the window are trimmed back where possible to get all you can.

Install some fake windows

Adding a faux window can be as simple as using some LED flat panels on your wall and then hanging curtains over them to create the illusion of light coming in through a window. To add some color or interest to your fake window, consider a translucent decal to place onto your lighted panels. Using a sheer curtain to obscure your fake view a little bit can do a lot to further the illusion.

Use light colors

Because lighter colours will reflect more light, decorating with lighter colours can help boost the brightness of a dark space. Neutral, warm, and white are all good choices for a dim space to keep the room looking brighter than it really is.