Even though sunlight has many benefits and we do need it to light up our homes, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will – sometimes a room just doesn’t have access to it. Oddly-shaped houses, basement conversions and re-purposed spaces can all offer valuable additional space in our homes, but not always a window.
But that doesn’t mean that a windowless room needs to be a dark and oppressive space, as a host of fantastic ideas for brightening them up really do exist – and we thought we’d share them with you!
If natural lighting can’t find its way into that room of yours, then re-evaluate your lighting choices. We're talking about ceiling lights, lamps, wall sconces and spotlights – anything goes!
Thanks to a wide variety of daylight imitation bulbs on offer, it is a simple task to fill a space with wonderful illumination to prevent it from feeling too enclosed or claustrophobic. Just take a look at this example from Lucia Navajas and you'll see what we mean. There are no windows in sight, but thanks to multiple spotlights, the room still feels bright and airy, not to mention luxurious!
It’s quite easy for a windowless room to feel cramped-in, even claustrophobic, but a great way to avoid this is to ensure that the entire space has been well ventilated. Warm, stuffy surroundings will only exacerbate a feeling of being closed in, but cool, clean air will make it feel as though you have a window open!
Ceiling fans are a great idea, but only for rooms with a high ceiling height! For anything else, it's worth taking the plunge and opting for air conditioning. Though this can be an expensive addition, it will most definitely pay off in summer when you want to use every possible room in your house!
Hanging art on the walls of windowless rooms is a tried-and-tested technique and the reason it is so successful is that it almost imitates a 'view'. Because suddenly a room with four solid walls is transformed into a space with three walls and one gallery.
To make this technique extra successful, try to keep your walls painted in a fresh and light colour and think about hanging pictures that depict landscapes. Though any art will have the effect of breaking up the vastness, pictures of nature will make it feel tangibly closer to hand.
Speaking of nature, why not go one step further and bring the outdoors inside? After all, if you can't open a window to drink in some plant-purified air, bring the plants indoors and have them do it there, while looking amazing!
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Stretch those DIY muscles by getting creative and expressive. When it comes to windowless rooms, however you want to break up the space is up to you and we are huge fans of fun DIY inclusions, like these lovely hanging shelves.
Creative, unusual and artistic installations can really detract from a lack of windows and when you choose to add plants, brightly coloured books and even fruit, as seen here, to your walls, you'll find that you soon forget what windows actually look like!
Sometimes, a snug atmosphere is exactly what you want, and for these cases a windowless room is ideal. We suggest that you invest in some tactile cushions, low-level furniture and add a plethora of candles to keep the room nicely lit, but subtle too. Not every house is able to have a designated cosy room, but if you have a space without a window, this could be a great project for you to try out.
Windows or no windows, you don’t want to miss these Tips for colourful walls.
