How to Choose Window Treatments for a Dark Space

Without great light flow, a dark room can feel gloomy, smaller and less cheerful. As a result, you may be spending less time in the room. Allowing more light to flow into a room, however, can completely transform the feeling of that space. In fact, studies show that exposure to brighter light can intensify positive emotions and overall well-being. 

Window treatments play an important role in letting more light into a room. But when selecting the right window coverings, where should you start?

Here are a few tips to consider:

Select horizontal-slat blinds. Blinds with horizontal slats provide more light control than a standard shade does. As a result, you can easily adjust the amount of light you allow into a room. On sunny days, you can reduce the flow of light. And on dark, gloomy days, you can open the slats all the way for maximum light.

Choose blinds that have wide slats. Install blinds that have wide slats of wood or faux wood. These blinds dress up a room, and since they have large, thick slats, light floods into a room when they are open.

Examine the fabric of the blind. Blinds are available in a variety of different fabrics. For example, you can select a solar screen fabric, a light-filtering fabric or a blackout liner. Blinds that have solar screens are a good option for allowing maximum light to enter the room. They promote good light flow, but they also soften that light so it doesn’t feel overwhelming on sunny, bright days.

Control light with cellular shades. This type of shade allows the sun to flow into a room even when the shades are closed. Cellular shades are available in a variety of fabrics, most of which promote maximum light flow.

Install shutters. Shutters look great in any room, but one key benefit of this type of window covering is that when they are open, light floods into a room. On the flip side, when shutters are closed, the room becomes very dark. Shutters are a great option for a bedroom that needs light flow during the day but needs to be kept dark in the evening and early morning hours.

Do you need assistance brightening a room with the right window coverings? If so, we can help. For more information, simply call (203) 580-3362 today.