13 Renter-Friendly Ways To Add More Light To Your Living Room

A bright room can give you more energy and more light has been proven to make people happier. Bearing this in mind, a dark and poorly lit living room doesn't do anyone any favors. Fortunately, there are many ways to add light to rooms without damaging your walls, floors, and ceilings. That way, tenants can stick to their lease agreements and keeping their homes in good condition, making their landlords happy. 

Many of these tips are ideal for renters because the lighting tools and tricks are temporary and mobile, making them easy to move between apartments and houses. And, if they're executed correctly, they won't leave holes or debris behind. Plus, these methods are budget-friendly, simple, and don't require any DIY skills to incorporate. Read more below to learn about these renter-friendly ways to brighten dark living rooms, as well as some recommendations on how to set them up properly.

Flameless candles are a perfect option for the forgetful and accident-prone. These candles don't use a traditional wick and fire but are illuminated by a battery and light bulb. Though small in size, they're often sold in sets, which you can scatter across your living room to add soft light. Since there's no open flame, you don't have to worry about spilling wax or setting them too close to flammable objects.

Ensure you pick a flameless candle that gives off enough light by looking for options with LED bulbs. These require less power, meaning the batteries can give off brighter light for longer. Look for larger sets of candles so you have more lights to cluster in one spot for more concentrated light. Amazon has many flameless candle options, including a set of 9 traditional pillar candles. Or, if you would like pops of color, you can opt for multi-hued options like these from The Home Depot.

Lightbulbs are staple household items but come in many forms. Multiple types require more or less energy (watts) to illuminate and give off different amounts of light, which is measured by lumens. The default lightbulbs in your rental may be standard ones, warm-colored and emitting a low amount of lumens. So, simply switch to brighter bulbs that allow your current light fixtures to give off more light. Don't throw away the original bulbs and store them somewhere safe. Then, you can swap them back out when your lease ends and you move elsewhere.

Try swapping out your current set of bulbs with cool, white-toned ones that add up to over 3,000 lumens like this one from Target. These bulbs are usually labeled as "daylight" bulbs at home improvement, hardware, and general merchandise retailers. You may want to take your current bulbs with you to a local store to make sure the base of brighter replacements are the correct size. As a bonus, LED bulbs use less energy than incandescent or CFL lights, so opt for these if you also wish to save on electric costs as well.

If you already have lamps in your living room, their shades may hinder light output. Instead, swap them for white or off-white lamp shades, which naturally let more light through. On the other hand, if white isn't your style, other pale colors or more permeable fabrics will also let more light through. You can swap out the lamp shades on most lighting fixtures, whether they're on your ceiling, floor, table, or wall. This isn't a permanent change, so most landlords should approve. When moving out, remember to return your rental's original lamp shades.

If your lamps or lighting fixtures have a crystal, polished metal, or modern wood base, a bright white lamp shade like Amazon's barrel linen option is a good fit. Lighting fixtures made of warmer colors, rustic finishes, or metal with a patina look, may pair better with an off-white lamp shade. Target's woven beige lamp shade adds stylistic appeal to these bases while still allowing significant light to pass through.

String lights are small but there are many of them. So, pinning the electric garland across your ceilings or walls adds small bursts of light across an entire living room. They add ambient lighting, which is one of the three most essential light types for rooms, to boost the overall brightness. What makes them renter-friendly is how you choose to hang them. Instead of bolting them into the wall, hang them using temporary methods that won't cause permanent damage to surfaces.

Some subtle ways to install this lighting is with double-sided tape (available at Amazon) or Command decorating clips (available at Lowe's). Simply line the lights with the tape or space the hooks every few inches along the strings, adhering them to the wall without drilling any holes. Most string lights are lightweight, meaning temporary adhesives shouldn't struggle to hold them up.

LED strip lighting has the same effect as string lights, adding ambient or mood lighting to your living space. Adhering it to your furniture ensures you won't do permanent damage to ceilings, floors, and walls. The only catch is that you should only attach it to your own furniture, not to any sets owned by your landlord or rental company. The lights usually attach using an adhesive backing, which is removable, but also potentially leaves residue behind. Luckily, a combination of cotton swabs, towels, and nail polish remover or vinegar can help remove the residue from wood, though you may not want to risk damaging items not owned by you. 

LED strips come in one style but have different features. Some models allow you to change the brightness and colors, such as Amazon's Indoor Multicolor LED strip lights. If you're strictly looking for strip lighting to brighten your space, a plain white option this one from IKEA, is a clean and simple way to illuminate your furniture and decor.

Improve the lighting in your living room without adding lighting fixtures, but instead, another decorative piece. Mirrors reflect light, and when they're strategically placed near a light source, they can help make a room appear brighter and larger. So, try putting a hanging mirror on a wall adjacent to a window or hanging several together to create an illuminating gallery wall near a bright lamp. Just make sure to use high-weight Command Strips to securely mount them while avoiding damage to the walls.

Smaller mirrors still make an impact, but larger mirrors create a more significant improvement. An adjustable full-length mirror, like Amazon's arched standing mirror, can be angled to better reflect light. If you want to take things a step further, purchase Walmart's standing mirror with LED lighting. This type of mirror both adds and reflects light, making it twice as effective for illuminating a living room.

Sheer or translucent curtains filter daylight the same way pale lampshades allow artificial light through. Swap out your windows' heavy curtains and roll up their opaque blinds, replacing them with lightweight, pastel, or see-through curtains to let more natural sunlight into your living room. Look for curtains labeled as "sheer" and "semi-sheer," as these fabrics use thin threads and have low knit densities that make them more transparent.

This tip is simple for renters in apartments and homes with curtain rods already installed. If there are no rods, you can opt for a tension rod like this one from Amazon. However, if you don't have enough depth to mount the rod in the frame, you can also use Command Curtain Rod Hooks from Target. As for the curtains themselves, find them in the same places you buy most home decor. For example, IKEA offers a plain budget-friendly set while these from Wayfair feature a pattern for those looking for more detail.

Contrasting colors make features pop and rooms seem brighter. Plus, redesigning your interior style with more hues creates a more vibrant atmosphere. So, use a colorful rug to set the focal point and personality of the room. Abstract, geometric, floral, and other eclectic patterns can fit a variety of design styles, and most rugs shouldn't be a problem in rental properties. Just avoid using scratchy materials that could damage flooring, like jute or sisal, unless they have a soft bottom on their underside.

Choose a rug style or color scheme that enhances your living room. The accent colors in the rug should complement your lamps, curtains, and other small details. If you choose white or off-white lampshades and drapes to help brighten your room, look for colorful rugs with a white accent to draw the room together. Aside from the rug itself, use a rug pad to help keep it in place and create an extra barrier to protect the flooring beneath. Use a fabric-based pad, like Home Depot's polyester dual surface rug pad, which won't trap moisture or leave residue behind.

You can install wall lights in your rental's living room using adhesive sconces. These lighting fixtures emulate permanent wall lamps without being hard-wired or bolted into the wall. They use double-sided tape or a similar material to attach to a surface, where they emit light like any other traditional light fixture. Keep in mind that this may not work on textured walls or popcorn-style ceilings as the adhesive sticks best to flat surfaces.

These products are popular with renters and are available in many styles to fit various design themes. Amazon's rectangular wooden sconces have a warm modern feel, while Poplight makes a matte black version that's sleek and versatile. These products often come with included adhesive to hang them, but if it isn't sufficient, you can always add more damage-free tape for support. 

Adding task lighting also improves the overall functionality in your living room. Cabinet lights are explicitly designed to light up cabinets and drawers in your home. You can also attach these lights to your console or coffee table to illuminate lower shelves and deep cabinets. The slim lights illuminate these tight areas, and the they stick on with magnets or adhesive. Due to the attachment style, these lights may not work if you have rattan or wicker furniture since the surface is too textured for adhesive backings.

Opt for cabinet lights with magnetic attachments if you have metal furniture, or use adhesive if you have wood or glass furniture. Amazon sells a two-pack of magnetic cabinet lights that can attach to either type of furniture since it comes with both types of adhesion. IKEA also carries its own cabinet lighting that is turned on and off and dimmed via an app.

Another version of cabinet lights is wireless puck lights. These nifty contraptions vary in size, light output, and functionality but are traditionally rental-friendly. If you plan to stick them to furniture sets owned by your landlord, pick out a design that comes with damage-free adhesive. These stick to flat surfaces, like deep cabinets and shelves, using the backing or a magnet. Many are motion- or tap-activated, making it easy to add task lighting or to illuminate decorative accents.

You can ensure your puck lights can both provide bright task lighting as well as soft ambient lighting by purchasing dimmable versions. This 6-unit set from Amazon can be controlled by remote or tapping and features a timer to save battery life. Or, opt for rechargeable ones like these from Walmart to save money on replacing batteries.

Desiring more light in your living room is the perfect excuse to buy unique battery-powered lamps to adorn your coffee and console tables. Tabletop lamps come in various designs that can fit in all types of decor, from rustic to modern. These stylish statement lamps add light, aesthetic appeal, and a personal touch to living rooms. They're also easily unplugged or switched off, packed up, and moved whenever your household changes rentals. Plus, they're typically powered by batteries or simple plugs, meaning there's no hardwiring necessary. 

You can find rental-friendly lamps at most retail stores carrying home goods. The online options are also unique and versatile, including this eclectic, iridescent mushroom lamp from Amazon. However, if you're looking for lights with a little more function, Home Depot's motion sensor lamp has a contemporary look and automatically lights up to four different settings when it detects movement.

Mirrors aren't the only reflective surfaces that can make a room appear brighter. Nina Lichenstein, a professional home designer, told Martha Stewart, "Consider utilizing a glass coffee table, acrylic chairs, or glossy cabinets to further elevate the overall brightness and aesthetic appeal of the room." Sunlight and artificial light gleam on these surfaces, causing light to bounce around a room and make it appear more illuminated.

Many rental properties are empty, allowing tenants to furnish the rooms themselves. If you're settling in with all new furnishings, pick out a glass or glossy-finished living room set like this one from Wayfair. Before sliding the new furniture across the floor, ensure they have a soft covering over their hard feet to prevent damage. If not, stick Amazon's felt pads to the bottom to avoid chipping or scratching your landlord's floor.