Natural light is a great thing to have in a space. It warms up a room, keeps it from feeling too heavy and drab, and makes everything just look a little more beautiful. BUT! We're realists and we know that, no matter how much we love natural light, it's not always an option in every space. So today, we're going to discuss ways you can create a "natural light effect" without windows.

Besides adding natural light, windows make a space feel more open. Rooms without windows can feel cave-like. A quick, easy fix for opening up a space and even creating a reflection that can mimic light is by hanging a mirror. There are a few things to consider when selecting and hanging the mirror, though. First of all, make sure your mirror is large enough that it can be hung at a good height to draw the eye up and make the ceilings feel higher. This isn't as much of a concern if the room already has tall ceilings, but if it doesn't, get something large!

Since a room with no windows lacks brightness, make your wall color work for you! Select a color that gives the feeling sunny skies and sunlight WITHOUT using yellow! Many people want to paint darker rooms yellow because the sun is yellow and if the walls are yellow it'll seem like sunlight. Wrong. Instead of painting the walls yellow, go with a creamy white. Really, the sun makes things feel brighter not necessarily yellow, so if you just jump to light and bright by painting your walls a light, bright white you'll be able to open and brighten up the space. If white is a little too scary for you, you can also go with a very, VERY pale blue. Since the sky is blue and a pale blue is soft and airy feeling, it can accomplish a feeling similar to a creamy white.

Even though artificial light isn't the same as natural sunlight, one pretty obvious way to bring more light into a space is by actually bringing in more light. You'll definitely need the standard lamps but consider hiding some more non-description or indirect lighting that can mimic the indirect window light that gets filtered in through a window. Under cabinet lighting or anything hidden that just shows the glow is your best bet for this option.

If you don't have a window or the room is an interior space where windows aren't an option, it can still be beneficial for you to have a window even if sunlight isn't shining through it. This is another way to create the "shared light" feeling that windows to the outside provide. Windows in between rooms or even transom windows over doors or other windows add glass and allow light to in a different form.

Overall, light is necessary but if your space doesn't have a window, you'll have to get creative. Large scale wall hanging open up a room too--this could be a large piece of art or wall to wall window treatments that create the illusion that you're hiding a window. Do what works best for you and fits best into your budget!

Designer Tips | No Window? No Problem.