Although sunlight is obviously the best solution for illuminating a room, apartment renters rarely have this option. Unless you live in a corner apartment, the number of windows will be limited. In order to make your place more comfortable, consider brightening it up with plants, artificial lighting, and paintings.

One reason people enjoy gazing out of windows is to look at the plant life. If there aren't enough windows, or if all you can see is a crowded parking lot, consider purchasing some indoor plants that don't require a lot of sunlight. You can also purchase artificial plants, but if you get real ones, not only will they be aesthetically pleasing, but they will also improve the indoor air quality by exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide. Plants depend on you for survival, and if you take care of them as needed, the results will be beautiful, and you will feel good about yourself. Some of the many plants that do well in low light are:

• Corn plants
• Chinese evergreens
• Dragon trees
• Rubber plants

If you're uncomfortable with the level of lighting in your apartment, you can always brighten it up with lamps. But if you're buying extra lights anyway, why not put in a couple of extra bucks to get grow lights for your plants? Grow lights are bright artificial heat and energy sources for indoor plants. You can find them at your local Home Depot, Lowes, or other major hardware/gardening stores. By purchasing these lights, not only will your apartment be brighter, but you'll be able to purchase a larger variety of flowering plants, and this will fill your apartment with a nice scent.

You may also want to place several vases of fresh flowers throughout the apartment. In order to make sure the flowers last as long as possible, trim the stems at a diagonal angle every other day and make sure the vases are always filled with clear water. When you refill the vase, do not remove the flowers from the water. Instead, push them to one side and fill the vase with water until the old water flows out and the new water replaces it. This helps keep the flowers from going into shock. You can also add one tablet of aspirin to lengthen the life of the flowers. They should live about two weeks.

Another way to bring the outdoors inside is by purchasing large pictures which depict outdoor scenes and placing them where you feel like windows should be. When the painting or poster is properly lit, your apartment will feel more balanced and less restricted. If you want to, you can even pin curtains around the picture so it will look more like a window.

If you are unhappy with the limited view in your apartment, consider creating your own "windows." Granted, you won't be cutting holes out of the walls, but these are a couple of solutions to make the area seem less restricted.

Contact your local nursery or visit Empire National Nursery, LLC.: the first 24 hour on line nursery.

Published: August 12, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Kate Kemp only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.