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How to Brighten a Room

Quick changes on a budget

A fresh paint job is the easiest way to perk up a room fast and, dollar for dollar, the most dramatic way to transform any space. Use the warmest shade of a particular paint color to enrich your walls — periwinkle instead of aqua, vanilla instead of bright white.

Here are some other high-design, low-cost ideas to keep your home refreshing and welcoming year-round.

Bedroom

Soften the light. Hang inexpensive sheer curtains behind drapes — or alone — to gently filter sunlight. Or try a pleated fabric shade instead of hard wooden blinds.

Draw on the walls. Pick up a bucket of chalkboard paint (it comes in black and costs approximately $60 per gallon) at a hardware or paint store, then coat a wall in a child’s bedroom with it. Provide colored chalk and erasers for fun.

Kitchen

Create an optical illusion. Use a mirrored strip as a backsplash; it’ll make the room look bigger. Either have a glass store cut a mirror to your specs or buy mirrored squares at a tile store. Ask a salesperson for the best way to affix the mirror onto your wall surface — you can probably do it yourself with glass adhesive.

Add more seating. If you have the space in your kitchen, a sofa visually softens the hard lines of kitchen appliances and cabinets and creates a welcoming place for your family to keep you company while you cook.

Bathroom

Set the mood. Create a beautiful focal point by placing a decorative glass bowl in a window or on a counter. Fill the bowl with homemade potpourri, wildflowers, sea glass — anything rich in color and texture.

Build a theme park. Try an under-the-sea motif: Hang a clear plastic shower curtain (it makes the room look more airy) decorated with colorful fish. Paint starfish on the walls or mount framed pictures of tropical scenes. Add seashells — or drape a shell necklace over the mirror.

Living Room

Go faux. Is your upholstery fading? Brighten your sofas and chairs with snazzy throw pillows. Check out thrift stores for fun fabric, faux fur or vintage scarves to make pillowcases. Close them with Velcro-fastening strips — they’re easier to sew than zippers.

Remember, less is more. Get rid of chairs you never sit in and tables you never use; it will give the remaining furniture room to breathe. Hang on to your beloved knickknacks, vases and candleholders, but stow some away. Rotate the pieces throughout the year.