BRING LIGHT IN

You don’t need to knock down walls to make your home bright and airy. Sallie gives some tips on how to get a sunnier space

Colours Choose pale tones and define them with metallic accents such as brass and copper. If you have darker cupboard units, brighten them up with a mix of bleached finishes on the floor and walls or island. Finally, add a pop of uplifting colour for a vibrant highlight.

Lighting A variety of sources including spots, pendants and under-cabinet lighting will ensure you can adjust as needed. Brighter bulbs aren’t always better. I recommend warm to mid-tones rather than the blue or ‘daylight’ ones, which give a stark and clinical effect. Glass shades on pendants will diffuse the light into all corners of the room, whereas solid-metal ones funnel all the light down to the floor.

Reflective finishes Adding mirrors is the oldest trick in the book – go large and think about mirrored tiles, light fittings and accessories too. Similarly, opt for gloss or polished finishes if possible to boost reflected light. Try Dulux’s Lumi Tec paint on the walls – its particles reflect up to twice as much light back into the room.

Simple changes Switching internal doors to glass will allow light to flood through – or remove the doors entirely. Also, getting rid of overhead cupboards will make the space feel less enclosed, and you’ll create room for a large mirror or reflective feature wall.

Window treatments Make sure these aren’t too heavy or intrusive. Roman blinds that are too low can block as much as a third of the light coming into the room, and curtains set on a pole that’s not long enough means they’ll cover the sides of the window unnecessarily. Setting blinds higher up or investing in a wider pole (ensure you have enough fabric to close them) can make all the difference!