Brighten Your Windowless Hallway With This Ingenious Design Tip

Dark spaces around the house create a moody, eerie feeling no one wants to endure, especially when home alone. Walking through dark hallways can be awkward if you have a darker interior and lack adequate lighting, and guests who stay over or try to find your bathroom won't have the best first impression of your space. However, you can easily brighten up your windowless hallway with a quick and effortless DIY using an old window with its frame and luminous LED lights. Before you start Googling contractors to come in and knock down part of your wall to install a window, this DIY doesn't require tearing down walls to let in natural light because the LEDs will give that illusion.

Hanging the window frame with an LED light strip on a vacant wall in your hallway will make it look like you installed a traditional window. The window only requires a few sprays of frosted glass spray paint, which will prevent it from being see-through, thus adding to the illusion. You can complete this DIY in a day, and it's perfect for any DIY level. You can purchase a new glass window frame on eBay, Amazon, or your local hardware store. Alternatively, if you have an old window frame, it would be perfect to repurpose it for this DIY. You'll also need LED light strips, L-brackets, and frosted glass spray paint, all available from Home Depot.

If you're using a previously owned old window frame that's seen better days, give it a couple of updates by sanding it and painting it a new color so that it feels new in your home. Opt for hues that match the rest of your hallway's interior and décor or a statement color to make it stand out. Once the base is ready, spray the glass with the frosted spray paint and let it set until it dries. After it's dried, attach the LED strips behind the window along the frame. Place them so that the light emits through the glass instead of from the sides. Give your lights a test run by turning them on and checking at the window's face to ensure they're bright enough. Finally, install your L-brackets and hang your window on the wall. Now you have the perfect faux sunlit window illuminating your dark hallway.

If the illuminated window doesn't add enough light to your liking, you can add a couple of mirrors to the hallway so that the light bounces and reflects off of them and further brightens the hallway. You can replicate this DIY in any moodier space, like a home office, bedroom, and even a windowless kitchen.

The great thing about adding a faux sunlit window is dressing it to spruce up that monotonous wall. Hang curtains, drapes, blinds, or other window treatments to make your window look more realistic. HGTV star Jenny Marrs claims window treatments can take any room from drab to fab by adding warmth and creating a relaxing environment. While your hallway window only emits artificial light, window treatments will still enhance its look. In addition, it'll add texture and visual elements to the hallway.

You can further dress up your window with a small end table and a houseplant. You don't have to spend too much on the accessories. Thrift stores have excellent furniture you can get for a few dollars. Or, if you want something newer but affordable, Home Depot has a chic walnut wood end table for $13.82 with two shelves, so you can place a picture frame, houseplant, and other knickknacks on the table. If you want a modern table, Amazon has a round marble table with gold legs for $19.99.