Skylights

You need additional recessed lighting

You have a beautiful home. Here are a few suggestions:

I know of someone who had their walls painted BM White Dove eggshell, & the trim/woodwork BM White Dove semi gloss. Soft, beautiful, open, light. Also, consider adding a large light area rug.

What's in the far corner near the window in the second photo? Can it be removed and replaced with a large comfy light chair and floor lamp?

The diamond shaped wall art looks too large and dark for that area. Can you find a different place in the house for it?...and leave that wall empty.

Maybe remove the ceiling fan or paint it white?

On the sofa, try a white or cream slip cover or throw blanket.

Your house looks very nice and I especially like the chandelier hanging above the dining table.

You have quite a few windows. I would look at adding skylights to the living area, and recessed lighting throughout the space. Your furniture is dark and heavy, so maybe that is what you are reacting to. A large light colored rug would look nice in the living area.

Everything hanging on the walls appears to be dark and that multi-candle thing is much too large for its location. The corner bar is soaking up all the light that comes in the windows, and the dark sofa is as well. The dark floor needs a light rug. Multiple floor and table lamps would help, as would a large skylight right in the middle of the room, instead of the fan. Do you prefer the chairs or the sofa for watching TV?

We put in sun tubes and LOVE them. Your roof line looks like they might be a good fit. Can be a good optio for natural light versus recessed lighting. Have you thought about thinning the treetops, if that’s possible? You might not be able to but I see them right outside the window and wondered.

You have dark(er) floors with large, dark furniture sitting on them. The easiest way to get some 'bright' would be to add LARGE WHITE area rugs (Ok...maybe not white but something VERY light).

I would find a MASSIVE rug for the living space and a very large area rug for the dining space. You can probably do this for less than $1000.

After that, the NEXT easiest/cheapest thing to do is add more LIGHTING. An electrician + MORE light fixtures will add tremendous amount of light. You can do this for a bit more than $1500 (depends on the work needed and the amount of time you need the electrician).

After that we have "solar tubes" or "sky lights". I'm not fond of cutting into a roof that is fully serviceable. But if your roof needs 'doing' in the next 5 years or so, I would certainly add the cost of the solar tubes to your roofing budget.

If cutting into your roof/ceiling isn't something that makes you happy then the NEXT logical option (which would be my FIRST OPTION...but it is expensive) is to change the colour of the floors.

I would say the VAST majority of your 'dark room' feelings are coming from your dark floors. Change the floors and you are guaranteed to achieve a MUCH lighter space. But it is an expensive investment...that's why I added it last and not first.

Like deco said, your things on the wall seem too dark and overpowering for the room. I'd love to see some nice airy artwork. Agree, also a lovely lighter rug and unless you really use that bar set, I'd move it along. I think it dates this very pretty room. If you did move that, I'd maybe flip the couch to the other side and put a console table behind it to hide that back, which is not great looking. As for the dining area, your chandy is super cool. The artwork with the rust colors is ok, but could you either lower it or hang it the other way? It's up too high. Or maybe put your candle thing from the other wall over there.

lol I had the candle thing there. So, I may move it back. I was also thinking of switching some furniture and possibly getting new lighter furniture. I know you cannot see it, I actually have a light gray and white rug in front of the couch. We do use the bar and have thought of moving it to the center of the room. However the dining room table would need the leaves out to make room. Still thinking.

Can you shorten the dining table and get the bar into that end of the space?

Love the idea of light colored rugs - that will help a bunch.

Also, you do have some windows. Maybe hang a mirror or two strategically so it reflects some of the light that does make it in.

There is a big mirror on the wall behind the dining table. I have used a tape measure on the bar, it would fit. However, the chairs and space would be too crowded. What effect would white sheer curtains have?

While adding lighting, light rugs, furniture,, floors, etc., etc. will give the impression of light I think adding actual light via skylights is what I would do. There is no replacement for NATURAL light.

True. However this is not an option as this is a condo and would not be approved.

Don't add curtains. Even white sheers will take away some of the light you are getting through the windows, and your walls are already white so you're not gaining anything by adding them. A large lighter colored rug would make a big difference - one large enough to encompass the entire seating area.

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Did not think of the rug anything dark will soak up the light.

Add big framed mirrors to reflect the natural light you do get.

Too much dark furniture on the dark floors. Agree, if you can move the bar, it may help.

"However this is not an option as this is a condo and would not be approved."

The roof is a common element but that doesn't mean that you couldn't request a change from the condo board. There are already things that belong exclusively to your condo alone such as vent pipes that extend through the roof.

I like the idea of moving the candle thing between the windows where the orange picture is. Perhaps you could paint it a lighter color.

As others suggested, I have a large rug (actually it's bound carpet) that covers the living room floor and upon which the living room furniture sits. Not only does it make the room lighter, it gives a cohesiveness to the living room area.

Perhaps swap the dark valances above the windows for light-colored ones -- or paint them -- as they do not match the light window frames.

-- amateur