5 Ways to Brighten Up a Small Room

You know that one room in your house that’s a little depressing because it’s always dark? Or is that just in my house?

The third bedroom in our house is so small and pitiful and dark that my husband was using it as a “storage room” (I guess) when he lived alone. It was just this poor little unused room with the door always closed when we first met. To be honest, it creeped me out a little that he didn’t want me to go in it… I felt kind of like Belle being kept out of the West Wing!

Well, a room with no purpose (or decorating) was just not going to work for me! When I moved in, the first thing I tried to do was to turn it into an office… but the walls were this really dark brownish-greenish color. And the window faced the North. And nothing ever looked bright or pretty in this room. Ever.

And so… I read and I researched and I researched and I read. And then we did everything we could to brighten it up without knocking out any walls 🙂

1: Paint the Walls White
The first step had the biggest impact, by far. I did a little bit of researching about the psychology of room colors and found out that white gives spaces the illusion of being bigger, brighter, and cleaner (which is why it’s the color chosen for hospitals). Perfection!

Since white on its own can be boring, we also did a medium blue accent wall. Medium blue because it is interesting to look at but not over-stimulating (which is why its often chosen for high schools).

2: Use Mirrors
Well, I kind of adore decorating with mirrors anyway, so it’s just the icing on the cake that they reflect light and make small spaces feel bigger. I have at least one in every room!

This is something I learned through all of my home staging research. Since glass is transparent, it doesn’t take up any space visually. Glass is the perfect choice for tiny spaces! Worth mentioning: I love recycling things I already have instead of buying new stuff. These small, glass bottles were the perfect organization solution for tiny office supplies. Good thing I have plenty. Can you tell I’m a teacher?

I brought nearly every white/off-white and metallic object in the house to “try out” for a place in this room. Neutrals just make everything look tied together which makes the overall feel of the room bigger. I mean, my entire Pinterest account is basically one neutral room after another… but I just can’t help it!

I used a bright blue because it is bright yet calming. We spray painted that once black chair turquoise  over the summer and I am SO HAPPY with it! Also I chose some beachy photos for the bulletin board because they had similar colors.

Nothing sucks the brightness out of a space like clutter does. This room used to be the “final stop” for things in our home that had no other home… piled up against the wall or in the corner. We went through our pile and got rid of or found a home for EVE-REY-THING.

Now that this room is a space where we actually like to hang out, our “final stop” is the Goodwill 🙂

Any other tips or tricks I should add (try)?