Turn on the light and transform your home

If designing from scratch, I opt for big windows, but this is not an option on most of our projects.

Dark rooms are actually not too difficult to work with. While I do not profess to be able to make each one feel like a sun-drenched lounge in LA, I know that a few tweaks and a bit of investment ensure most rooms can be made to feel comfortably light.

Before investing a penny, look at your light source. It may seem obvious, but keeping your windows spotless inside and out has a dramatic effect. Prune back overhanging foliage to maximise the light let into the room.

I know curtaining really makes a room and dresses a window, but the finish has a major effect on the light available. In rooms that suffer from lack of light,

you need to ensure that as much of the window is exposed as possible.

A traditional curtain finish, such as a pencil or goblet pleat, results in a very full curtain that will cover the window. Try opting for dress curtains coupled with a blind, to allow you privacy. The dress curtain will give you the same look, but block less light and be considerably cheaper.

Alternatively, an Eyelet heading will allow your curtains to stack back in to a relatively small area. Combine these with a pole that extends beyond the extremes of your frame to allow the curtains to be drawn back away from the window – maximising light and still providing a terrific finish.

Colour is next on the list. Decorating in a dark hue will aggravate your problem as it absorbs light. However, you should also avoid beige, cream or off-white as these can feel cold and stark in poor daylight.

Choose something with a definite colour in it (such as light green or earthy stone). Do not be afraid of adding interest with details in deeper colours as these will add warmth to the room.

It is important to decorate and furnish your room in a way that will make the most of any natural light that you have available. Consider wallpaper and fabrics with sheen finishes to them as they pick up any lighting (natural or electric) that you have in the room, adding a comforting reflective glow. I am not talking Dynasty glitz (unless that is the look you hanker for), just something with a softer finish.

Mirrors (and mirrored or eglomis furniture) are a particular interior designers' friend in this circumstance. Place a mirror opposite your window or light source (be that a doorway or even a fireplace) to amplify its effect.

Of course, electric light is always a helpful (if sometimes costly) solution, but to avoid oppressive, forced light, is something you ideally want to use in the evening, rather than throughout the day.

Create pools of light with reading or table lamps placed strategically around the room at different levels.

Couple these with picture lamps which are a great way of adding indirect light and highlighting individual pieces of interest.

Also, consider wall lights for a general glow that is less harsh than overhead lights.

Placing uplighters in dark corners will give a soft, comfortable glow reflected from the ceiling.

Alternatively, if you have cupboards, consider fitting hidden recess lights that create colour wash over the wall above, emphasising the illusion of natural light.

Send your interior design queries to Jamie Hempsall, BIDA at [email protected] or call 01777 248463.