need help with ideas to brighten a dark small apartment!

Hey Everyone,

So My boyfriend and I are getting our first apartment! YAY! We found this adorable apartment that has a lovely bright kitchen and awesome bedroom with a grand window! But our living room is small, carpeted and we can't paint or take up the carpets, This is where you entertain I cant have people smilin and laughing in a cave!

Ive done tonnes of reasearch and I plan to use mirrors and well placed lighting that I'mm craft my self, but Any suggestions? It has one large window, but its across from a house so the natural light is minimal.Happy

Thanks Guys!

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7 replies since 17th June 2012 • Last reply 17th June 2012

Reply #1:

You could always hang a light colored painting on a wall to brighten up a space. I also use alot of matted photoes in bright colored frames, since the matte is the same color as the wall it seems to brighten up the space more than a traditional photo without a matte.
Also glass top furniture helps make a space seem less cramped. Hope some of these help, I have a small house and they have helped us Happy Congrats on the new place!

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Reply #2:

For makin it look bigger, only use white/light/bright colored furniture. Then u can use smaller darker accessories if u want. Sounds stupid but it actually did work in my tiny bedroom when i painted my dresser & entertainment center white...My room looked twice as big! lol
If u want a really cool look for the walls (without painting)... u can make a canopy on the ceiling (& down the walls if u want), by draping decorative fabric (or plain sheer fabric). Or u could drape a fabric panel on the wall, with a cutout of something in it (that just popped in my head, wow LOL). Think exotic. lol Thought this be cool to share. Good Luck!

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Reply #3:

Thanks, and Thats awesome, I just grabbed a glass topped coffee table at our local yard sale store <3 and light wall artis awesoem idea thanks Felecity!

and Dark Ash, Your fabric idea is awesome Im gonna steal that for my celing, its the set in tiling and I was wondering how to cover up the ugly tiles untill i have enough time off to paint! Happy I wonder what exciting fabric wall haning ide come up with! O0oo So Excited!

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Reply #4:

Hello Darling,

You can hang a bright paiting or art that you can create or buy, hanging a quilt on your wall will add some color. For a bigger look for your room, always use light colors (white, pastels). This works in opposite for a smaller look (rich hues, black). Setting a vase with bright colored flowers can light up a table along with lace tableclothes in white or cream.
Hope this helps!

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Reply #5:

look at my origami lights and try some diffrent things off that Happy

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Reply #6:

Buy light colored furniture ...you can buy a beige coloured or butter yellow and put up portraits or paintings and your couple's photos ...you can stick some flowers like orchids and lavender or daffodils on a vase you have to be creative

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Reply #7:

light on the floor behind an end table shinning up will create an illusion of space behind the table..... Paint anyways... only one wall, re-paint when you move out (primer first with hard colors). OR!!!!! if you don't want to paint wallpaper without gluing it down ( or paper furniture) or put a cloth that covers the wall or something like that......... I am sure you can find something on line for that idea....

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