How to Brighten Up a Room – No Lamps Needed!
Did you know that you can brighten up a space without the need for extra lighting or lamps? Yes – it’s true! There are just some technical aspects of interior design that you need to understand first in order to apply it to your home.
Many homeowners want to maximize the natural daylight available to create a brighter home. Particularly if you live in colder states you will know the pain of dull gray days and the effect it has on the overall light in a space.
So how can you brighten up a room without the need for extra lighting? Understanding Light Reflectance Value (commonly known as LRV in the industry. Let’s delve deeper into LRV and how it impacts our homes.
What is Light Reflectance Value (LRV)?
Light Reflectance Value is “a measure of visible and usable light that is reflected from a surface when it’s illuminated by a light source.” Essentially it’s about how much light gets reflected from a surface back into the space.
LRV is commonly used for rating paint colors so it’s clear to see how much light gets absorbed by each shade. The rating itself is from 0 to 100, with 0 being black and doesn’t reflect light, while 100 refers to pure white that reflects all light.
LRV and Other Surfaces
While Light Reflectance Value is commonly used for paint colors, LRV actually relates to other surface materials in the space!
The flooring, curtains, and ceiling color, all have an LRV that influences how light or dark a space looks. It’s important to consider these finishes carefully, especially for north facing rooms where natural light is more gray and dull.
Aside from other hard surfaces in a space, the upholstery of furniture can influence this too.
So how can you brighten up a room? Read on for some ideas.
Maximize Natural Light
The simplest way to brighten up a room without the need for more lighting is to maximize the natural light. Use reflective surfaces like mirrored end tables, wall mirrors, and polished metals to help reflect more natural light around.
Color Scheme
Choose a neutral color scheme with colors that have a high LRV. Ideally above 75%. This applies to everything in the room: furniture, decor, etc.
Window Treatments
Does your space have thick and dark curtains? This could be making your room look and feel darker.
Where possible, use sheers to help bring in natural light during the day, and make sure any curtain rods are long enough for the curtains to stack on the wall surface and not cover up part of the window. This is a trick many homeowners miss!
For shades, choose roman blinds that can be mounted above the window recess.
Decor
To help bounce more light around the space, choose a light colored rug. This is especially helpful for those that have dark flooring that is out of budget to change – a light colored rug will help to combat the low LRV of the floor surface.
You can also choose light colored decorative accessories, or those finished in a polished glaze to help bounce more natural light around the space.
If you’ve been thinking about making some changes in your home and would like a team to help, we’re here for you! Please don’t hesitate to reach out so we can connect.
