How to make your basement feel bright

In most homes, the basement feels like a cold, dark jail cell. Usually, the paint is boring and neutral and a lot of the time there is exposed brick or cement in the basement making it feel even more dreary. Add to that the fact that most older homes have small windows letting in very little light, and you start to feel like you are in a cave. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ways you can make your basement feel bright.

Open Concept

One thing that always helps make an old room feel bright again is to make it more open concept. If you are able, you can knock out walls to create one nice, big space that is comfortable for everyone. An room that feels open is more comfortable and has a lot more opportunity for positive change.

Fresh coat of paint

It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for a space. I recently painted my basement walls that were a brown to a light gray, and it made a huge difference in making the room feel bright and clean again. Plus, you can put baseboard heaters covers over your baseboard radiators, and you’ll have a completely clean, finished look.

Figure out your lighting situation

If you have the means, knocking out your tiny windows and putting in some bigger ones really helps bring in natural light. The more natural light, the brighter the space will feel. If that’s not a possibility, you will need to add more lighting to the rooms. Can lights can help evenly distribute throughout the room, and extra lights here and there make a big difference. Get lamps for darker corners, and pick up some light-strands to light the edge of your TV or entertainment center.

Use a lot of color

One trick to making a space feel brighter is to add some bright colors into the decor. Whether that is painting one of the walls a bright color or just getting some really colorful artwork, a bit of color will do you some good. Unless it is a theater room, you should try to stay away from darks. Choose lighter, brighter colors for your walls, furniture, pillows, and decorations.

And if you do want to get darker furniture or wall accents for the room, make sure you at least balance it out by having a lot of whites. For example, if you choose to do a really dark wall, then throw on a bright, white baseboard and baseboard heater cover and use a white couch for the room. As long as there is balance, then you are okay to use dark colors.

Don’t forget your flooring

Many people don’t even consider changing the flooring unless the old stuff needs to get replaced. However, the floor can really affect the overall look of your basement. A lot of people choose to get carpet to counteract the cold feel of the room, and that’s not a bad approach. Another option would be to get shiny hardwood floor sto bring out the character and overall look of the space. Plus, the shining floors will make it feel brighter as the lights reflect off of it.

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