Ways To Brighten Up a Dark Loft

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 06 February 2019 16:25

For the majority of people, it doesn’t matter what room of the house you’re decorating: light is the one design accessory that we just can’t get enough of. And unless you’re planning on converting one of your rooms into a home cinema or a dark room, it’s likely that finding ways of brightening up your room will be high on your list of priorities.

Whereas other rooms in your house may be limited by orientation, colour pallette or even size, loft conversions can be a fantastic way of creating a space that feels light, bright and enjoyable. With the help of the right roof windows, good design choices and the right furniture, you can turn a blank canvas into the bright and airy space you want.

 

Brightening Up Starts With Roof Windows

Of all the tricks available to us when trying to brighten up our homes, there’s nothing quite like nature’s own light bulb - the sun. The benefits of natural light for both our health and our pocket are endless, and harnessing natural light should be the first step in brightening up a space.

Unlike the other rooms in your house, a loft conversion is likely to require that you install the windows from scratch. The benefit of this is that you have complete control over how big your windows are and where they are placed - both important considerations if you want to let in more sunlight.

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Location, Location, Location

Rooflight conversions are the most common type of loft conversion in the UK, and use either a skylight or roof window to allow light and ventilation into a space.

Unlike traditional windows that rely on light bouncing from the ground, roof windows have a sky-facing orientation, and so sunlight can flood straight into your loft. Because of their angled design, roof windows are also unlikely to be obscured by neighboring trees or buildings, giving you unfettered access to natural light.

Before you rush ahead and install any new roof windows, it may be worth deciding if you’re a morning person or an evening person. . A south-facing window will allow natural light for the longest amount of time throughout the day, whereas an east-facing window will bring the most amount of light in the morning, and less throughout the afternoon.

 

The More, The Brighter

And of course, who’s to say that you should only install one roof window? If you have the budget for it, opting for multiple roof windows can really maximize the amount of natural light coming into your loft. By placing multiple windows in different parts of the room, you can ensure that your loft is full of sunlight from sunrise to sunset.

 

The Bright Artificial Method

Of course, there will be circumstances under which you won’t be able to tailor your windows to your specific needs. Perhaps you’ve moved into a home with a roof window that doesn’t seem to let much light in, or is installed in a less than convenient place. Perhaps your budget simply cannot accommodate changing your windows right now. And there is the consideration of how best to maintain a brightly lit space during the evenings, especially in the dark winter months. In these situations, choosing the right kind of lighting will be of particular importance.

The good news is that you can still get the feeling of natural light in your home, even if you don’t have direct access to it. Daylight bulbs can be a saviour to those who want or need this kind of light in their home. For those with more expensive or particular tastes, full spectrum daylight bulbs provide the full spectrum of colour temperature and brightness, bringing your lights as close as possible to the look of natural light.

 

Set The Mood

If daylight bulbs aren’t in your budget, you might consider using multiple light sources instead. Even if you do opt for daylight bulbs as your main light source, investing in different kinds of lamps for different areas of the room can give you more control over the brightness of your space, and where in the room you would like it. By mixing colour temperatures and brightness levels, you can easily change not only the brightness, but also the tone and mood of your room with the flick of a switch.

 

Your Bright Design Flare

Flooding your loft space with natural light or investing in new lighting can all be for nothing if you pick the wrong decor. Make the wrong design decisions - decorating your loft with dark walls and furnishings, for instance - will end up absorbing the light, and leave you with a muted looking space.

 

Fifty Shades of White

Choosing the right colour to paint your loft doesn’t necessarily mean picking from different shades of white. Adding a splash of colour to your walls doesn’t have to negatively affect the light in the room; you just need to keep the shades light and bright. Opting for gloss or metallic paints will help to bounce light around the room, no matter what colour you choose.

The golden rules of light and neutral colours extend to any design decisions you make in your loft space, and it’s similarly advisable to keep furnishings and any large items in light shades. If darker or stronger colours are more to your taste, it may be best to limit these to smaller items, rather than key pieces of decor.

 

Shine Bright

Even if your design taste doesn’t favour neutral tones, adding shiny or glossy surfaces to your room can make a world of difference. This is a great opportunity to try out a range of different materials you may have never considered, with glass and even metallic accents helping to bounce light around the room, while still giving it a pop of character.

When it comes to bouncing light around, nothing works quite like a mirror. Not only do they not only help to reflect light, but can also become a focal point of the room, and be tailored to suit your own design tastes. Investing in a large, beautifully designed mirror could be a great alternative for those wanting to avoid cluttering their walls with artwork, which can often end up absorbing the light.

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Even if your loft feels a little dark and gloomy sometimes, a little bit of planning and imagination can turn this space into one of the brightest rooms in your house.

Investing in the right amount and type of roof windows is the most direct way of transforming your loft. But even if installing multiple windows is not possible, this doesn’t mean you have to be stuck in a dingy space. By learning how to manipulate the light through design hacks, you can achieve wonders, even if natural light continues to elude you.

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