While the ideal way to brighten up a dark room would be to add windows, this isn’t normally financially feasible.

Luckily, there are a few simple and inexpensive tricks you can use to help brighten a dark room and bring the light in. If you follow any of these suggestions, we’ll guarantee that you’ll be thrilled with the transformation you’ve performed!

Here are five ways to brightening a dark room in your home:

1. Paint it White

Give the walls a fresh coat of paint with a brilliant white color. Look for white that contains yellow undertones. A white with gray or blue undertones can actually make a room look dingy, which isn’t the effect you are going for.

By using a pale color on the walls, what light you do have will be reflected off the walls and bounced around the room to help cheer up a dark space.

2. Stick with Light Tones for the Furniture and Floors

Just as light colored walls bounce light around a room, choosing furniture and floor coverings that are subtle and bright will help bring more light into a dark room. If you have dark wooden furniture, consider repainting them a more appropriate color to open up the room and reflect the most light possible. Wood floors can be spruced up with light colored rugs.

3. Mirrors are your Friend

The one decorating tip I strongly believe in is the use of mirrors to help make a dark space appear lighter. Strategically place a large mirror or several smaller mirrors opposite a window to help reflect light throughout the room. The mirrors not only add visual interest, but will help turn your gloomy space into a bright, cheery environment.

4. Change the Lights

What kind of lighting do you have in your dark room? Oftentimes, changing your lighting can do immense wonders for the brightness of a room. Try to buy lamps that are “full spectrum,” the closest you can get to natural sunlight. These lamps will certainly help bring more warmth into your home!

5. Remove the Curtains

If your dark room has thick, heavy curtains, take them down! By removing curtains altogether, you have nothing to block light from coming through. If you absolutely must have window coverings, go as sheer and light as possible. Think a sheer white, gauzy fabric – and open them up during the day.

While you probably won’t need to use all of these tips to help brighten a room, a few of these combined can definitely make a room appear brighter and more cheerful.

Use the tricks that work best for your particular space and get ready to enjoy a bright room!