If you have a small room, no matter what its purpose it can very easily start to look like a small dark cave! It’s quite tough to work out the best way to light small rooms (especially in the depths of winter) – space is at a premium and so you can’t just stuff the place with lamps as you might in any other room.
Your small room can easily become a cosy and well lit haven, if you approach it in the right way.
Table of Contents
Wall and overhead lighting
The first thing you need to do is get as much light into the room as possible, while taking up as little space as you can.
You can get great results by using recessed lighting, that is lights that are set back into recesses in your ceiling and walls. By using recessed lighting you are essentially taking up no space at all, but you are getting a whole lot of extra light.
Recessed lights are highly directional in nature, so it’s worth having some idea of the features in your room that you want to highlight before installing them. It’s also a good idea to avoid putting recessed lights above mirrors or other reflective surfaces as they will bounce off and create unwanted reflections.
Feature lighting to draw the eye
Recessed lighting alone can look a little harsh and cold. To create a warmer and more textured look, combine your recessed lighting with feature lights such as a floor lamp or table lamps. Different types of light will make the room seem as though it has more depth, and give it a cozy feel.
You can also use a textured approach in the way that you decorate the room. Try using fabrics with lots of different textures to further add to the cozy and textured feel that you’ve started to create with your lights.
Windows
If you have old windows, the chances are that they are a little scuffed and not letting in all the light that they could. On top of this, it’s likely that they aren’t keeping the heat in as well as they could do, either.
You will be amazed at the difference UPVC windows can make to the levels of natural daylight getting into your room, and to how warm it is.
Natural daylight is important for your mood in the winter months and letting in the sun during the day will give you some extra heat, for free!
Lampshades
Choosing your lampshades is an important part of how light your room will look. To get a lighter look you could opt for bare bulbs or you could try a lighter coloured shade that isn’t too opaque.
Decoration
In a small room, less is more. Be very selective about what pieces of furniture you want to put in your room, be sure that each one is serving a purpose and that you aren’t just adding unnecessary clutter.
Try choosing more delicate items of furniture as opposed to large clunky ones, and choose furniture that is in light colours.