Adding Light to Dim Rooms in your Malta property

Not every room within a property in Malta comes blessed with abundant natural light. Practically every piece of real estate in Malta has one – that light-eluding space that causes you to switch on the light bulbs even in broad daylight. This article is not about choosing lighting for a dim room but rather on how to lighten up the room naturally during the day before it gets dark. There are a number of practical and sometimes simple measures which can be adopted to make a world of difference to your dim spaces. You may be able to make some of the more radical changes suggested or perhaps adopt a few of the ideas that are less complicated to fulfil. Read on….

First things first – your dim room/space hopefully has a window. Check out the size of the window in comparison to the rest of the room. If the window looks out onto a narrow shaft, check to see if there is enough space to get the window slightly enlarged to allow more light to stream in. An architect or builder may be able to tell you if this enlargement is possible and safe to accomplish. If you do opt for a larger window, be sure to choose a window frame thatdoes not have any small pokey-sized framework design but rather allows a large pane of glass to stand uncluttered.

If your window looks out onto an internal yard, try to see whether it is possible to transform the window into a mini-balcony that only has minimal emergence onto the yard below and would thus not create extra shade on a yard that is probably already very poor in natural light. If you opt for the mock balcony, use pregnant-styled vertical railings which are usually quite thin compared to other heftier designs. The fact that the railings are pregnant-styled will also give the impression of having more space.

If the window simply cannot be enlarged in any way, look out onto the shaft or yard and check out the colour of the external walls. If the walls are a darkish colour or require a fresh coat of paint, whitewash in white to allow the whiteness to reflect more light inside your dim room.

Let us focus on the room itself. Vacate it of its furniture and furnishings and unless you have already done so, paint its walls and ceiling white. Leave one wall free, preferably the wall opposite the window or door, and decorate it with a variety of mirrors or one large mirror to reflect the natural light. This idea is also optimal for narrow and dark corridors as well as pokey spaces such as that obscure space under the stairway. Mirror reflections bouncing off opposing walls will create a feeling of light.

Do not include dark furniture in dim rooms. Try to opt for light-coloured furniture. Remember that light is enhanced with light-enhancing colours.  A black wardrobe will plunge the room into further darkness.

Light colours must also be selected for frames, pictures, decorations. Choosing objects that reflect light is better than choosing objects which have a matt finish. So opt for glass bowls, silver containers, white frames, shiny objects, stainless steel fittings. Mahogany doors for dim rooms are simply not a help. If you have to keep the mahogany, you can paint it in light-coloured semi-matt paint on the inside of the room.

Choose light furnishings – no heavy curtains but rather sheers that allow the light to come in unhampered. If you require privacy, use multiple layers of sheers which are often enough to maintain privacy whilst also maintaining light levels.

Ultimately never give up on a room just because you consider it the dimmest of them all. Trying any of the above which are applicable to your room, and taking time to shop around to find the right kind of furnishings to enhance existing light levels and entice more light into your room will gradually and surely prove to make a great difference to your malta property.  Your property is an investment – Slight alterations or a little design consultancy can assist you in adding value to your property in Malta and therefore if you ever come to a point of selling your Malta property you’ll may be in a position to get  the top end of market price.  For any enquries regarding Interior design contact our approved supplier, Fiona Caruana Carebez or email her on [email protected]

Written by Marika Azzopardi

Marika Azzopardi is a freelance writer and journalist. A frequent contributor to national English language papers and magazines, she writes about a bevy of topics including art, people and life in general. She is also the author of children’s books and short stories, delving into adult fiction from time to time.