The Sneaky Way To Brighten Up A Windowless Hallway

No one wants any part of their home to feel gloomy, but that can become a challenge when your floor plan involves a windowless hallway. While the rest of your house might feel cozy and inviting, that one dark hallway can throw off the aesthetic of your place. A windowless space can appear stubbornly dreary, impact your mood, and might make you feel like there's an "unfinished" part of your home that still needs some TLC. Good news: You don't have to live with that dark corridor because there are sneaky ways to brighten up a windowless hallway.

You don't have to be an interior designer to work some design magic on your windowless hallways. All you need is some artificial light, a couple of reflective pieces, and a few design elements with some personality to transform the area from drab to fab. You will be amazed how much a well-placed sconce or mirror will upgrade the space. Keep reading to brighten up your hallway using a few key strategies.

Flipping on a light in a dark room only to be met with a weak beam can feel frustrating. If you feel like you're residing inside a cave, keep this tip in mind: You can cheer up a windowless hallway by incorporating bright lighting. Illuminate the space by supplementing the ceiling light with wall sconces, table lamps, or even a floor lamp.

"Choose a wall mounted uplighter to cast a soft diffused light against the wall and ceiling. These are most effective when used in conjunction with a dimmer switch, Chris Jordan, the Managing Director at Christopher Wray, told House Beautiful. "If you have the space, add a floor lamp to brighten up dark corners and create a warm glow within your hallway." 

This simple strategy can make your dark space feel less gloomy and more inviting, but that's not the only way to brighten up your windowless hallway.

While you can't magically add a window to your hallway — unless you've got some serious construction creds — you can make the corridor feel more inviting by making it more interesting. Add unique and eye-grabbing décor elements that will make walking through the space enjoyable rather than dreary. 

If the hallway has room, consider adding a unique console table, an unusual lamp, or focus on curating an intriguing gallery or perhaps a faux green wall or vertical garden. If there is limited room in the hallway, then decorate it with a statement-making light fixture or cozy runner. The fun décor will distract you from thinking about the hallway's dimness. 

"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," Alessandra Wood, Vice President of Style at Modsy, told House Beautiful.

Mirrors help reflect light, so they can make a cramped, windowless hallway feel a little brighter. Maximize your luminosity by placing a mirror directly in front of a console lamp, or hang one in between two sconces to help make the space feel bigger and airier. 

"Mirrors reflect light and also create an illusion of depth to the room, which tricks the eye into thinking the room is larger and more open than it actually is," Olga Ratajski, a Chicago-based designer, told Curbed. Since dark spaces also tend to feel cramped, incorporating a mirror in front of a light source will knock out two birds with one stone, and if you don't have an outlet nearby, you don't have to worry. According to Apartment Therapy, you can now transform table lamps and wall sconces into battery-operated features thanks to remote controlled puck lights.

Try out these tips and you will brighten up your windowless hallway in no time.