How to lighten a dark narrow hallway: Light is always a source of discord when choosing a home, so solutions are always sought to end poorly lit spaces. Many of the residents of a house have the problem of a corridor with poor lighting, so they try to find the best solutions to eliminate this problem through non-artificial light sources.
Do you have a narrow and dimly lit corridor? Here are some tips to lighten dark narrow hallways to look bigger and brighter.
Sometimes the rooms in houses are so spacious that the corridors are too narrow. In addition, they are usually dark corridors since they do not have windows and therefore do not have natural light to illuminate them. For this reason, many times, these areas of the house lose their charm. Today we propose to change this topic and give a twist to the decoration of dark corridors. If you follow the tips below, your hallway will seem bigger and brighter than ever. Do we try?
How to lighten a dark narrow hallways
Paint the walls white
The key to making a room appear larger is in the color of its walls, ceiling and floor. The lighter these are, the larger and brighter it will appear. Light colors reflect light, so any ray of natural light that reaches your walls will be reflected (unlike dark walls that absorb light).
Therefore, the star color to enlarge and bring light to a room is white. We suggest you sand the walls and paint them pure white. Thus, you will add meters to the width of the corridor (visually pulling) and you will have more freedom when decorating it since white goes with everything.
Don’t forget to paint the skirting boards
When we talk about painting the walls, we are also referring to the baseboards. They are generally made of wood and occupy about 5 centimeters from the wall.
If you paint it white, it will blend in and blend into the wall, making it appear taller than before. If you want to highlight them, you can paint them with a darker tone, without reaching the tone of the wood: beige, light yellow …
Smooth walls yes textures no
When the light comes in contact with a smooth surface, it is reflected more than if it encounters rough surfaces. Therefore, when it comes to gaining light, it is important to forget about textures such as gotelé or wallpapers that reduce the brightness of the wall. L as polished and shiny surfaces also reflect light so if you decide to incorporate some ornament or timber element tries to be shiny finish: marble, polished wood …
Decorate the walls with mirrors
Mirrors are the best allies when it comes to gaining light. They are the best reflectors and they are the fundamental piece that you will have to incorporate into dark corridors. Some choose to place a large rectangular mirror, however, there is a way to place the mirrors that also adds a touch of originality.
It consists of placing several mirrors of different shapes along the corridor. It is very original and you will be able to provide hundreds of flashes of light. Much more than what you would get with a single mirror.
Light fabrics, light shades
Since the dark corridors do not have windows, we will have to take advantage of the closest ones, right? Those, the ones in the rooms next to the corridor, cover them with light curtains of light colors (gauze, muslin …), with Japanese panels or blinds. This will help natural light to reach the hall more easily.
The best lighting for dark and narrow hallways is recessed lighting. That is to say, the one that does not hang up and is barely visible. Come on, the current lamps with the same format as the old halogens. A trick? Direct the light towards the walls, thus, you will achieve uniform and soft lighting throughout the hall.
Add a touch of color with a rug
The white walls, the white skirting board, the glass, and mirror decoration … Maybe with so much white we have forgotten that important touch of color so that a room does not look like a doctor’s office. For this reason, we suggest you give it a touch of color by placing it on the floor with an original rug.
Not only will it add color to the corridor but also, in winter you will insulate from the cold and protect the parquet so that the varnish does not remove and continue to look bright next summer.
Furniture that you can put in the hall
Although it is better for dark corridors to be clear if you want to incorporate some furniture it is totally understandable. However, you can follow some recommendations so that the corridor does not look even darker and narrower.
Choose glass furniture, these will reflect the light and make the hallway brighter.
If you want to hang a painting on the wall, do so, but choose a metal frame.
If you want to incorporate a chair, bench, or stool, do it but with upholstery in light tones.
Place a lighted piece of furniture at the end of the hall. It will focus attention on a longitudinal point and will minimize the light from the rest of the hall.
Things to remember when lightening a dark narrow hallway
1.
PLAN THE LIGHT POINTS (AND THE SWITCHES)
When renovating passageways, such as the corridor or hall, plan what type of lamp, the angle of light to provide and, consequently, where each point of light will go. This way you will avoid the typical mistakes when lighting the house . Do not forget also to provide, both the hall and the corridor, with switches at various points.
2.
HOW LONG IS YOUR HALLWAY
A very simple rule to get an approximate idea of how many points of light a space needs is to calculate its surface. Keep in mind that, “more or less, a point of light is calculated per m2”
3.
WHAT IS THE ANGLE OF LIGHT?
In LED lights, the opening angle of the light is the degrees that the beam of light emitted by a bulb opens. Same for lamps. “If you want continuous lighting without shadows, you will have to put the luminaires closer together, so that the beam of light from each bulb overlaps,
4.
RECESSED SPOTLIGHTS ARE THE MOST COMMON OPTION
Also called downlight. They are one of the most common options in corridors. Bear in mind that, as it is a transit area, “a great intensity of light is not necessary, so we recommend placing dimmable bulbs, to always control how much light you want,
5.
BATHE PICTURES OR ORNAMENTS WITH LIGHT
If you want to fill your hall with pictures, the most important thing “is that you don’t create shadows in the pictures themselves. The recommendation is to put luminaires centered on each of the pictures. And if the angle of light is very wide, in the center of two.
6.
ONLY FOR HIGH CEILINGS
Hanging lamps are ideal for hallways with high ceilings. “The key is that they are rather light and do not go down more than 50 cm, so we will avoid them bothering when passing.
7.
LIMITS THE TUNNEL EFFECT
Sconces are ideal for hallways, but if yours is narrow and long, avoid putting them on both walls.
8.
LED LIGHTING IN THE HALLWAY
“It is one of the most current alternatives to provide ambient lighting”, Torres adds. It can be placed along the corridor, in the corner between the ceiling and the wall.
9. ON THE CEILING… AND ON THE FLOOR!
They can also be placed on the ground. There are sensors that turn on with movement, perfect for older people and young children. Surely you also appreciate its soft light when you get up at night to get a glass of water.
10.
POINTS OF LIGHT IN THE HALL
Whether large or small, the ideal in a hall is to have two points of light, one that provides general light, with a ceiling lamp, and another that gives warmth to the environment with a floor or table lamp.
Conclusion: So now you know how to lighten a dark narrow hallway
if it is not possible to take advantage of natural light, resort to low consumption light bulbs: there are houses or premises that, due to their nature or location, have almost impossible reception of natural light.
In this case, to light a corridor with the best energy efficiency, try to buy low-consumption light bulbs, which give a touch of lighting without spending an excessive amount on the electricity bill.
In the market, we can find a wide variety of low-consumption products that can be recessed in the ceiling in the form of small spotlights that can give an elegant and subtle look to leave all those people who pass through the hall speechless.
Also Read: How to Light up a Basketball Court at Night?