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We’re going to show you 8 ways to brighten your rental. Turn your dark, low-lit apartment into a more open and brighter space you’ll enjoy.
We feel you…having a dimly lit apartment or rental home is the WORST!
When we moved into our first apartment, it was on the ground floor of our building. We only had windows on one side of our apartment, so our apartment only received optimal sunlight as the sun was setting. Not an ideal situation, for sure.
Our apartment was always so dark and when we actually did get sunlight that peaked over the building across the street, our space was still very dark.
When you rent an apartment, there’s only a few units in each building that get optimum sunlight, so if you aren’t blessed with one of those units your only other option to brighten up your space is to find unique ways to do so.
We’ve felt the pain of poor lighting in a space, but have created these rental design hacks to help brighten up our space despite it.
That’s why we thought we would share 8 ways to brighten your rental to inspire you to recreate these ideas in your own space!
Good bye dark and dull apartment…say hello to a brighter, happier place!
This post is all about 8 ways to brighten your rental.
8 Ways to Brighten Your Rental
1. Paint Your Walls a Brighter White
One of the most impactful ways to brighten your rental is to paint the space a brighter color. Many times, apartments are painted a shade of light beige or grey. Those color tones darken a space and make it feel more enclosed.
Painting your apartment a brighter white color will transform your dark and gloomy apartment into a brighter home. The light that comes in your apartment will now reflect more into your space and make it feel bigger.
Our favorite white paint:
2. Use a Neutral Color Scheme
Using lighter, neutral colors in your apartment makes it appear brighter. If you’re able to, painting your cabinets a white, cream or light grey color will open a space and not make it feel as dark.
Adding lighter colored pieces to your space will create the same effect as well. Add a light colored coffee table, neutral pillows, or a terra cotta vase.
Our neutral decor picks:
3. Install Renter Friendly Lighting
We love this rental designer hack! It’s one of our favorite ways to brighten a space. Many times, rental spaces have basic lighting that doesn’t add much character or light to the space.
We love these rental friendly lights, because they are super easy to install. All you have to do is plug them into your wall socket. They are gorgeous and will bring in additional light into your living room or bedroom.
Our favorite friendly lighting picks:
4. Soften the Room with a Light-Toned Rug
A light-toned rug will soften your room and bring in additional texture and brightness. When we are designing a smaller, darker space in our apartment, adding a light colored area rug makes all the difference.
Our favorite neutral rugs:
5. Use Light Furniture
When we first moved into our small, one-bedroom apartment, we knew that we wanted a white or cream colored sofa. We knew that the small space would benefit from a lighter colored sofa, because it would open up the space.
Our favorite light furniture:
6. Add a Mirror in the Space
Adding a mirror to your living room or bedroom is a great rental design hack to copy. It’s a super simple and inexpensive way to apply the light that comes into your space. The light that comes into your apartment will reflect off of the mirror into the space too.
Our favorite mirrors to brighten spaces:
7. Plants Bring in Life to a Space
A great way to bring some life into your space is to add plants. Whether it’s small potted plants or a taller artificial olive tree in the corner of your room, plants brighten the space and bring the outdoors in.
Our favorite “real-looking” artificial plants:
8. Brighten Corners with Lighting
Floor lamps are a great way to brighten corners. Whether you have a corner with an accent chair, or want to add more light into the space, a floor lamp will add dimension and brightness.
We like adding lamps that have a softer light to a corner. It makes the space feel more homey and cozy.
Our favorite floor lamps:
This post is all about 8 ways to brighten your rental.
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