When decorating a room, it often feels natural to orient your design around the central point. There's a certain logic to this approach — the center of the room feels like an obvious spot to build your design around — but, in practice, what this leaves you with is a space with all the furniture awkwardly cramped right in the middle of the room, with dark, underused corners surrounding it.
This isn't always entirely our fault, though. Even with the most perfectly planned ways to light a room, if a corner is completely absent of direct natural light and with no clear purpose, it can be incredibly hard to bring life to these spooky nooks. It's an issue that's likely to be familiar to a fair few of us, and, if you're anything like me, you may have already given up hope of ever finding a way to make your sad corner flourish. But even though I was fresh out of ideas, I knew someone who wouldn't be. And she just so happened to have a trick that hasn't just brightened up my sleepy corner; it's actually turned it into one of the most chic spots in my home.
Ever the whiz for making the most of a room, interior stylist Lucy Gough (style_by_lucy) has shared her trick for a dark corner glow-up. It's surprisingly simple, yet dramatic in impact, and she's told me exactly how to recreate it at home.
The Trick
So, what exactly is this transformative lighting trick?
In its simplest form, this idea is about combining a mirror with a light source in a corner that requires some brightening. Decorating with mirrors is a favorite technique for many designers, offering a simple way to make a space feel more expansive by using the reflective surface to create the illusion of more space; in dark spaces, combining this reflective surface with a light intensifies the effect of the light, brightening up your space with relative ease.
Explaining how to use this technique in your home, Lucy suggests, "Lean a floor-length mirror in the corner, angled slightly into the room, and position a sconce above it." Opting for a full-length living room mirror, rather than a smaller wall-mounted option, creates a more dramatic effect, providing more surface area for light to bounce off, while the casual, wall-leaning mirror brings a more laid-back feel to your room.
While using a lamp in a dark corner may seem like a relatively obvious solution, the real magic comes from the combination of the light with the mirror. Positioning a wall light or floor lamp next to the mirror will bring brightness to the corner, while the reflective surface will help the light project further into the space than it would without it.
"The mirror will reflect and bounce the light around the space without making the scheme feel overdone," notes Lucy. A larger mirror will help to open up the space, while the light brings warmth and brightness to the dark corner.
How to Recreate the Look
This isn't a one-size-fits-all trick; there are plenty of ways to play around with it and adjust the style to make it work for your room.
For example, in small living rooms, wall sconces are a particularly effective choice as they take up minimal space, keeping your floor completely free while still providing a "soft, atmospheric light". However, in larger rooms, with more floor space to work with, a floor lamp can also provide the same effect.
Thanks to the developments in smart lighting, there are plenty of stylish, USB-powered and rechargeable wall light options available, so even if there are no plugs in this corner, or you don't want to go through the hassle of hardwiring, you can still adopt this lighting trick in your space.
In terms of placement, Lucy says, "You can position the sconce above the mirror or place a lamp on the opposite side of the room so that its glow is reflected in the glass. Either way, it helps the whole room feel brighter, larger, and more inviting."
Shop the Look
Part Art Deco, part futuristic, this chrome-framed full length mirror is a statement maker, perfect for dramatic living rooms.
The wooden, wavy frame brings warmth and movement to this design, adding a touch of personality to your corner.
Elegant in it simplicity, this lovely arched mirror would work with any design style, easily adapting to suit its surroundings.
There's nothing like a pop of color to brighten up a dark corner, and this lovely pink wall light is the perfect way to do it.
If you have enough space to include a floor lamp, this gorgeous stack rice paper lamp should be at the top of your list, it has designer-level looks, at a high-street price.
With a perforated brass front, and a swirling, cloudy glass backing, this wall lamp has a lovely, diffused glow.
When it comes to creating atmosphere, lighting is everything, so knowing the best ways to light a dark room, and make your space feel a little cozier will always go further than you'd expect.
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