With the changing of the seasons and the sun setting earlier in the afternoon, everyone is looking for ways bring in more light. You don’t have to remodel or undergo hectic and strenuous renovations to brighten rooms up in your home though. Here are 10 ways to add more sunlight without breaking the bank:

1. Hang mirrors! Such an easy concept allows the room to double the amount of sunlight because of reflective surfaces. If you have a large window in your room, you only need one, hang a mirror directly across from the window to help brighten a dark room.

2. What’s blocking your view?? Is there maybe a large bush or tree blocking sunlight from getting in? Be sure to trim your shrubbery regularly so you aren’t missing any of that beautiful vitamin D!

3. This one tip is a wee bit obvious, but simply clean your windows. Dirt and dust plays a major role on the amount of sunlight that can enter a room.

4. Light fixtures! Lamps such as a torchiere floor lamp places towards the back of your room can do wonders for making up for lost light. These kinds of lamps are perfect in rooms that have no windows at all.

5. Don’t bring large, dark pieces of artwork into a dark room. If you do want artwork, make sure the colors or neutrals or even pastels. The darkness in the artwork will absorb the sunlight and deprive you and room of the rays.

6. Dark paint colors are not the best choices for a room you are trying to brighten up. The lighter the color of your walls the more they will reflect. Opt for neutral shades to bring the sun in.

7. Heavy, dark curtains are not your friend to rooms you want more sunshine in. There are many other window treatments you can choose from such as translucent colors that will allow the sun to peak through and warm the space.

8. Just like mirrors play a big role in letting sunlight in, reflective surfaces serve the same purpose. For a space with limited sun exposure, bring in shiny objects such as mirrored coffee tables and acrylic accents.

9. Yes, your kitchen may give great light during the day but it’s a room that gets used long into the night. Copper pendant lighting can reflect light into dark spaces. You can find a plethora of pendant selections also in brass and glass which will also help to brighten up your space.

10. If your bedroom is the space where you experiment with colors and you love your dark and dramatics, add light colored bedlinen, cushions and rugs to help balance it out. This doesn’t necessarily help light it but it most definitely brightens up a space that is easy on the wallet, especially if the room doesn’t have windows.