4 Ways to Brighten Your Dark Apartment Study Room

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4 Ways to Brighten Your Dark Apartment Study Room

Staff Writer · Dec 6, 2010

When decorating an apartment, a study room should be anything but dark. As you typically use it as a place to read or use your computer, it should be a room that is peaceful yet well-lighted so you can relax with a book or work at your desk.

#1 – Choose Colors for Your Walls that Will Brighten Them

Color plays a key role in how bright or dark your room looks. Even white has varying shades that affect the mood and setting of an area. For instance, a creamy white will denote a softer hue than, say, a white with a blue cast added to it. Colors such as yellow or red are warm and bright while blue or silver will brighten a room with a more cooling effect. Therefore, when colorizing walls, choose pastel colors for a more soothing ambiance and stick to warmer shades if you want a more uplifting effect.

You might strike a compromise by selecting a dominant color and a couple of toning shades to brighten your room. For example, choose a cheery yellow enamel as your main color. Include paints with a yellowish white finish and a pale ochre hue to complement the look.

#2 – Select Lighter Colored Furnishings

Use lighter colored woods for your furnishings to brighten up a dark study room. Whether you choose a more traditional motif or opt for a contemporary look, oak is a good choice for brightening up a dark room. Therefore, select oak furniture in a whitewashed or a light-colored varnish for traditional, mission, Scandinavian or contemporary decors.

#3 – Select Window Treatments that Allow Natural Light to Stream into Your Room

Rather than using heavy drapes, which can make a place seem that much darker, choose shades that match the lighter, brighter colors of your walls. Glue patterned fabric on the window treatments to accentuate the look. The shades can be raised during the day to brighten up your surroundings.

You might also try hanging horizontal or vertical blinds, which are useful in reflecting the rays of the sun. These types of window treatments are especially suitable for windows that are located on the south or west side of a building. Include a couple of flowering plants, such as gerbera daisies or peace lilies to brighten the room further.

#4 – Make Full Use of Your Lighting

In addition to natural lighting, you’ll want to make sure that your study receives the proper amount of artificial light too. For maximum illumination as well as comfort, position desk lamps or table lamps so the bottom of the lamp shade is at eye level when you are seated. Add ambiance to the room by using floor-level lights directed upwards toward prints or plants. Include a mirror in the room to reflect and increase the level of light. To reduce shadows, any source of light, where you are reading or working, should be in front instead of behind you. A desk light angled appropriately is helpful in this regard.

A study that is bright, yet cozy and peaceful, is an ideal place in which to read or spend time on your computer. Make it more cheery and you’ll find that your productivity will increase and your mood will brighten too.

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