Whether it’s due to a challenging housing market in your area or a small quirk in your otherwise perfect home, certain aspects of our living spaces don’t always make our hearts flutter. This could be because of a sub-par location, outdated architectural style, or a small yard. Or, you might be dealing with a windowless room. While it’s rare for someone to seek out a room without natural light, this situation can arise due to budget constraints or city living. Fortunately, there are ways to improve it with some smart windowless room ideas.
Back in 2019, House Beautiful‘s former senior editor, Alyssa Fiorentino, faced this challenge when she moved to a new apartment in New York City. She discovered designer-approved methods to make her windowless living room feel bright and welcoming without much effort. With clever use of color, artificial light, and decor, your windowless room can feel sun-kissed in no time. Keep reading to discover these illuminating tips below.
Let’s get real about something here: There’s no such thing as a “dream home.” Whether you’re on the hunt for your first house or apartment, you’ll always find that something’s missing or could be better. Usually, though, the pros are good enough that you decide you can live with the cons, whatever they may be. Such was the case for me and my two roommates when we moved into our second apartment in New York City. Choosing a large, three-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and an open kitchen in a great location also meant we had to settle for a living room with no windows.
The windowless living room is a problem for two reasons: First, it gets extremely hot during the summer, and there’s no way to get fresh air in the room. Second, and more importantly, it’s always dark and dim. There’s a skylight in the middle of the living room and kitchen, but that barely provides enough natural light to reach the length of both rooms. And if it’s raining? Forget about it.
We actually lived like this, with a dark and dingy living room, for two years. But after one roommate moved out and took a few pieces of furniture with her, we decided it was time to do something about our problem. The only issue was we had no idea how to fix it. Enter Modsy, now Lennar.
Before it was acquired by Lennar, Modsy was an online design service that provided everything you needed to revamp your space, from 3D renderings of your room to handy shopping links. All we had to do was upload photos of our room, provide a few measurements, and take a quick style quiz. A few days later, Modsy sent us the design plans for our space, and we instantly fell in love.
A 3D rendering of our apartment, designed by Modsy.
The next step was to shop. We bought a few things directly through Modsy, including the sofa from their own furniture line, and hit up some of our favorite home stores for everything else we needed. To be honest, it did take us a few weeks to pull the room together completely. And while it took longer than we expected to finish our redesign, it was definitely worth the wait. See for yourself below.
The difference is obvious, but it can be hard to assess what, exactly, you need to do to get similar results. Alessandra Wood, the former vice president of style at Modsy, broke down the choices her team made and how their design changed our space so drastically. It turns out there are six easy things you can do to make a dark room feel so much brighter.
Embrace Light Colored Furniture
Most people are hesitant when it comes to purchasing anything white for their homes, but it’s a necessary evil when you’re working on a room without windows. And while the chances of staining a white sofa or rug are high, the risk is worth the reward. By adding a long, white sofa and accent cabinet next to each other, we were able to make the wall look taller and wider, which made the room feel larger and a bit brighter automatically.
On the opposite wall, a long white media console takes center stage. When planning your major purchases, try to plan for a few key items to be white or another light shade. And if you’re really worried about stains, do a little extra digging. “Make sure you’re getting something that is treated or easy to clean,” says Wood.
Wade Logan Avichai Rectangular TV Stand
Winston Porter Stain Resistant Washable Rug
Latitude Run Derick Sleeper Sofa
Andover Mills Phillips Accent Cabinet
Layer Pops of Color Throughout
Of course, not everything in your room should be light. “Using pops of color gives a more fun, lively vibe,” says Wood. But keep in mind, just one ‘pop’ isn’t enough. “If you have just one dark piece in the room, it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb. So you really want to look for ways where you could introduce a color or a tone in a couple of different moments,” she explains. Plus, following this tip can help add dimension to your space.
nuLOOM Destiny Medallion Shag Area Rug
Ashler Home Deco Throw Pillow Covers with Pom Poms
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Jylin Velvet Muntz Ottoman
Add Lots of Lighting
Without windows, you’re forced to create your own light, so don’t be afraid to go overboard with lamps. Because our living room only has one overhead light and a skylight that doesn’t always provide the sunlight we need, Modsy put three lamps in the room—one on either side of the sofa and a floor lamp in the corner by the TV. Not only will this help to make the room feel brighter, but it also gives you more control over the space. “If you want to turn off the overhead lights you have more than enough lighting to create a really beautiful and peaceful environment at night as well,” Wood explains.
KIPHEPI Stained Glass Lamp
Anthropologie Eloise Glass Sconce
Ebern Designs Kjeld Arched Floor Lamp
Hang Multiple Mirrors
Another trick to fake more light in your space is to add a mirror. Modsy placed the mirror strategically above the bar cart so that the few beams of natural sunlight we get from the skylight would reflect off the mirror and back into the room. This works even if you only have lamps and overhead lighting, so definitely give it a try.
BEAUTYPEAK Arch Floor Mirror
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Fleur De Lis Living Anglo Arendahl Traditional Beveled Accent Mirror
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Charlton Home Sylvania Leaf Metal Bull Eye Accent Mirror
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Grow Low-Light Plants
Houseplants add life to your space, so placing a few around your room will help make the area feel more alive. You can also opt for light-colored planters to spread smaller moments of brightness around. (We went for pale pink, blue, and gray planters from The Sill.) Just be mindful, though, that you’ll probably need to choose low-light plants for the space. Make sure you’re watering them correctly and give them some time near a window in another room if needed.
Invest in the Right Art
If taking care of plants isn’t your thing, there’s another way to make the room feel alive that doesn’t require any maintenance: Invest in meaningful art. “Having art in the home creates a focal point that adds depth with imagery and pops of color,” Wood notes. To capitalize on this, we mixed abstract paintings with travel photos that make us feel like we’re exploring the world.
Erin Champ Positano Art Print
Anthropologie Vintage Travel Gallery Wall Art
Mercury Row Geo Abstract III
This all may sound like a lot to take into account and plan for, but in the end, it all adds up to the result of a brighter, fresher space. “You’re not thinking about the fact that the room doesn’t have light or doesn’t have windows because there’s so much going on in the room and the room itself—there’s a lot of different points of focus and a lot of energy,” Wood says. So whether or not light furniture and plants are right for you, as long as you fill your space with beautiful items and try a few of the tricks above (mirrors! art! layered rugs!) you’ll be on your way to a room that creates its own light.
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