9 Tips to Illuminate Your Basement

Basements are stereotypically known as dark, dreary places.  But the fact is, with a little imagination, a basement can be just as bright as any other room in the house.  Follow along with this article to learn how to make your basement brighter.

Maximize The Lighting

Making sure every corner of the room is well lit will make the area look bigger and cut down on dark spots.  Covering the ceiling completely with recessed lights and complementing them with lamps of varying heights will make sure all levels of the room receive adequate light.  Also consider wall lighting to make the most of the wall’s ability to reflect light.

Mirrors

Not only will mirrors make the space look larger, they will also reflect the light already available in the room.  Consider mirrors of varying sizes.  Floor to ceiling mirrors will maximize light reflection, while smaller mirrors hung near corners can brighten up darker areas and corners of the basement.

Add Colour

Bright colours will go a long way to brightening up a basement.  Paint the walls and ceilings with luminous saturated tones.  Keep to the bright colour theme with your furniture, accessories and decorations.  The basement lighting will reflect from these bright tones and add luminescence.

Employ Contrasts

It’s possible to give bright colours more pop by adding a few contrasting dark pieces.  Whether a table, some curtains or another piece of furniture, adding some dark hues will give depth to the room.  Contrasting tones liven a colour scheme and create a brighter overall atmosphere.

Use An Open Floor Plan

By using an open floor plan, you’ll make the area seem bigger, brighter and more airy.  It might be of benefit to tear down some walls to open the space up and enlarge the room.  A basement without windows can be compensated for by opening up the floor plan and making the space look bigger and brighter.

Minimalize

Clutter and overcrowding will make a space feel smaller, more enclosed and therefore darker.  Minimize clutter and go for clear, open surfaces that will naturally increase the brightness of the space.  Creating orderly patterns with matching items will provide clean lines that attract the eye and make the environment seem more orderly and polished.

Floor Space

Other than the walls and ceiling, your floor space will be the largest reflective surface in the basement.  By choosing a highly reflective floor surface you’ll be sure to increase the brightness of the entire area.  Think about polished concrete, bright hardwoods or lighter coloured carpets for the best reflective properties.

Provide Continuity

Consider continuing to use the same styles that are featured on the upper floors of your house in your basement as well.  Providing continuity between the upper floors and basement will prevent the feeling of descending into a dark dungeon down below.  A seamless transition will increase the feeling of brightness and continuity.

Utilize Curtains

Employing curtains in the basement not only makes the room look taller, but the large swaths of colour they provide will add to the brightness and contrast throughout the basement.  It’s even possible to hang drapes over a solid wall creating the illusion that there is a window behind them.