The start of a new year is an opportunity to make positive changes in your life, including the way your home looks and feels. If the rooms in your home are too dark and feel too small and cramped, why not hire a home painter to help you brighten things up?

If you live in the area of Chesapeake VA or Virginia Beach VA, call on Hughes Painting for a consultation on how to brighten the rooms in your home and make them feel larger. The following are some of the best ways to brighten your home. Some of these tips will require the services of an interior house painter, while others don’t require the use of paint at all.

1) Paint the Ceiling White

When people think about painting the interior of their home, they sometimes overlook the ceiling and the impact it has on the atmosphere of a room. A darker ceiling tends to feel heavier and more stifling. It can make a room feel smaller.

When it comes to brightening your interior, one solution is to paint the ceiling white. With a fresh application of white paint, the ceiling will reflect more light and make a room feel more airy. The paint can also be applied to any heavy beams made of dark wood that are running across the ceiling; however, depending on their size, thickness, and number, you may want to leave the beams unpainted to provide a contrast with the brighter ceiling.

Another possibility for your ceiling is high-gloss paint. This type of paint has an eye-catching sheen, giving it glass-like or mirror-like qualities. Along with enhancing brightness, the paint can produce a stunning visual effect. You just need to be careful about how you apply it. An expert painting contractor can provide you with the necessary guidance and skills, and your ceiling can be an ideal place to try this type of paint and see what effect it has on the interior of your home.

2) Pick Light Colors for Your Walls

When you hire a home painter, one of the benefits is the help you’ll get with choosing colors and types of paint. Each selection demands that you think about multiple properties, from the shade of the color to the best type of finish.

For brightening a room, the best choices will be colors that are both light and visually receding. Dark, warm colors, such as deep shades of red or brown, make a room seem smaller. These colors have an advancing effect, which means they feel as if they’re pushing closer to you. In contrast, a lighter shade of blue, green, or yellow gives you a more airy, bright, and expansive effect, as the colors seem to recede from your vision rather than advance towards you.

Another helpful technique is to use paints that have an eggshell or satin finish. In contrast to paints that have a matte finish, the eggshell or satin varieties will reflect more light, enhancing the natural and artificial light sources that illuminate a room. To further boost surface reflectivity, consider using white gloss. Witness what a powerful effect white gloss can have on the brightness of a room, even if you apply it only to baseboards, doors, and cabinets.

Along with carrying out all the necessary preparations and performing the paint job flawlessly, a high-quality interior house painter will help you make the right decisions about the color scheme and ensure that you’re using colors and finishes that strengthen the brightness and beauty of your home.

3) Want Some Dark Colors? Limit Them to Accents

Because darker colors can make a room seem smaller and less bright, you want to use them sparingly, even if you like them. One possibility is to use a darker color for only one wall of a room, making it an accent wall; the other walls can be painted in lighter and brighter shades. If you’re interested in this possibility, discuss it with your painting contractor, who will help you figure out which wall you should choose and which color you should pick to contrast beautifully with the other colors in the room.

An accent doesn’t have to be an entire wall. You can use darker colors on light fixtures or trim. And you can introduce darker accents in the form of artwork, throw rugs, furniture, and pillows.

4) Make Your Dark Floors Lighter

Along with considering how the ceiling affects the brightness of a room, you should think about how to make the floors work in your favor. If your floors are too dark, you may want to have them replaced or refinished, especially if they’re in poor condition. There are also different ways to paint or stain the floors, producing a brighter look overall.

Even without changing the floors, you can brighten a room by selecting an area rug with the right colors, pattern, and texture. Whether you choose a rug with a solid color or one that has an elaborate design, make sure the colors aren’t dark and heavy.

5) Think About Installing Subway Tiles

Subway tiles are glazed, white, and rectangular. With their clean lines and beautifully glossy finish, they can make a gorgeous addition to your home and brighten any room.

These tiles work especially well for bathrooms and kitchens. They can be used throughout the room or only for a portion of it; for example, you can install them in a shower or as a kitchen backsplash. If the expense of tile installation is a barrier, or if you’re living in a rental and can’t make certain modifications, consider using the peel-and-stick variety.

Bonus Tip: Use Mirrors to Maximize Light

Mirrors can give the impression that a room is more spacious. They also add more brightness by reflecting light. They’re especially potent if you position them to reflect the light streaming in from a window or from an area of your room that’s well-lit by a lamp or other kinds of artificial lighting.

Call on Hughes Painting

For an interior house painter quote and outstanding services, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re based in Virginia and serve the areas of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

When you reach out to us through our website or call 757-317-3735, you can expect prompt service, honest and detailed communication, and superlative work. From color preferences to scheduling convenience, we’ll strive to meet all your needs.