Don't Hide in the Dark- Brighten Up Your Basement

Basements can be a great thing to have due to the extra room it gives the home. Lots of basements are used for a living space, extra bedrooms, offices, game room, room to host family holidays, storage - you name it. What's not great about basements though is the lack of natural light and the use of the awful fluorescent lights. 

Here are some tips to brighten up your basement, finished or unfinished, and be excited about going down there. Some are easy and can be done by yourself while others are bigger projects but can make a huge difference. 

1) Paint your walls- this tip is very simple, inexpensive, and could be a fun weekend project. Using light colors like neutrals or pastels make the room appear brighter. 

2) Use reflective surfaces- light or neutral colored flooring, glossy tiles or countertops, mirrors, and glass tabletops are all good examples of things to use in the space. When light reflects off a surface it creates more light and makes the room seem bigger and more inviting. 

3) Cut down any bushes or plants that cover windows into the basement- this is also a very easy thing to do one afternoon and creates light that was not there before due to the obstacle in the way. 

4) Use light colored or sheer curtains/blinds- most people hang up dark, drab window treatments but those block out light and make the room dark even when the windows are open. They also make the room unwelcoming and appear smaller. 

5) Change out the lights- this could be done by switching those florescent bulbs to LED to make the room brighter and lively or by changing out the fixture (track lighting is an example) to provide more lighting throughout the space. 

6) Installing egress windows- if you are putting bedrooms downstairs then you are required to install an egress for safety but they are not just used for that. These windows allow so much bright natural light into the area and creates a clean, inviting, and large looking space. 

7) Installing BrightWall Basement Wall Panels- these washable and waterproof panels create a vapor barrier to the basement, keeping out water vapor and humidity. The white color of the panels magnifies the light in the basement and creates a cozy, bright, and clean looking space. 

These tips will turn that dungeon of a basement you currently have into a space you want to spend time in and show off. These can be mixed and matched to find a solution to a more cozy, happy basement space that is perfect for you!