10 Easy Ways To Make A Dark Hallway Brighter

Here’s 10 great ways to make a dark hallway brighter. With QUICK & EASY tips to lighten and brighten a dark hallway with no natural light.

How To Make A Dark Hallway Brighter

Do you have one of those dark and scary hallways that little kids are too afraid to walk down? If so, you’ve come to the right place. I know all of the easy ways to brighten a dark hallway!

You can pick one or more of the tips below to make a dark hallway brighter, in just one weekend. Some of them can even be done in an hour or two. That’s awesome, right?

If you need tips for other rooms in your house, check out 16 Ways To Make A Dark Room Feel Brighter. There are a few things you can do in other rooms that you can’t do in a hallway!

OK, let’s get started with how to lighten a dark hallway with no natural light.

How To Lighten A Dark Hallway With No Natural Light

No one likes a dark and dingy closet. Here’s my top 10 dark hallway lighting ideas.

1. Install A Bigger Ceiling Light

Often, hallways are lit be just 1 bulb. I think builders get a little cheap when it comes to installing generic, 1-bulb light fixtures in closets, small bathrooms, and hallways.

So, the first easy way to brighten a dark hallway is by replacing a 1-bulb light fixture with a 2 or 3 bulb light fixture.

I’ve replaced all of our bathroom, closet and hallway lights with a 3-bulb fixture. It’s been a HUGE improvement every time. Check out the 3-Bulb Drum Light I installed in our closets on Amazon.

2. Pick The Right Light Bulbs

And, on top of adding extra light bulbs to lighten a dark hallway, don’t forget to get the RIGHT light bulb.

LED lights can be purchased in different “color levels” from old-fashioned yellow lights to bright blue “1980’s office-style” colors. I highly recommend buying DAYLIGHT light bulbs.

They emit a bright, white light that 100% feels like natural-daylight in any room.

3. Install Battery-powered LED Lights

If you can’t afford to hire an electrician AND you don’t know how to do any electrical wiring, you can still install beautiful, battery-powered LED lights.

I LOVE that there are SO MANY great plug-in wall sconces AND wireless-battery wall sconces available now. Most of them look just like trendy wired-in wall sconces. And, they’re pretty cheap.

So, if you have outlets in your dark hallway, you can plug in a pretty wall sconce or two. OR, buy the battery-operated wall sconces to place anywhere you need.

See a GREAT, Budget-Friendly LED Plug-In or Wireless Wall Sconces On Amazon.

4. Use Mirrors To Bounce Light Around The Room

Another great trick to add light in a dark hallway is to hang a mirror or two. You really can make a dark hallway brighter with a well placed mirror.

When you can, try to hang your mirror opposite a window to reflect the light into darker areas in your hallway.

5. Try White Walls

If you follow this blog, you might already know that I’ve been slowly painting every room in my house white or another light color.

I can honestly say that any time I paint a room white, it instantly feels lighter and brighter.

White paint reflects light better, especially when it has a little sheen. So, avoid flat paint sheen, choose Eggshell sheen or higher to increase the light reflected.

6. Switch From Flat To Eggshell Paint Sheen On The Ceiling

And, don’t forget the ceiling when it comes to adding light in a dark hallway. The old rule of thumb was to always paint ceilings with a Flat paint sheen.

I’ve found that painting my ceilings WHITE with an Eggshell paint sheen also brightens every room I’ve tried this in. That light sheen on a ceiling also makes the ceiling feel higher. Give it a try!

7. Lighten Up The Floors

If your floors need a refresh too, switch to a light flooring color. This is another great way to lighten up a dark hallway.

Lighter walls and floors just make it easier to see everything in a hallway. When you have an easier time seeing everything, the room seems brighter.

I WOULDN’T pay for new flooring just to brighten a hallway though. There are cheaper, easier ways to make a hallway brighter. Try all of the tips above first.

8. Skylights and Skylight Tubes

If you’re lucky enough to have the roof above your dark hallway, you might be able to actually get REAL daylight in your hallway.

Look into installing 1 or 2 skylight tubes or a traditional skylight in your hallway. Tube lights are great because they’re usually a lot cheaper, quicker, and easier to install than a skylight.

See Affordable Skylight Tubes on Amazon here.

9. Install Doors With Windows

Our hallway would be pretty dark if it wasn’t for the large, double French Doors leading into our office. All of the windows in those doors let TONS of daylight pass from the office to the hallway.

Think about installing French Doors, or half window doors, for any room that isn’t a bedroom, off your hallway. Even bathrooms can have frosted glass that let’s light through.

10. Install A Window

And, last but not least, if you’re lucky enough to have your dark hallway on an exterior wall, you can look into having a window installed.

Just make sure that the house will still look nice from outside, when you’re deciding what type of window to use and where it should go.

That’s it for how to brighten a dark hallway. Now, here’s a few more posts that will help you DECORATE your home.

• Cheap And Easy DIY Canvas Frame (4-Step Wooden Frame And Video)
• 16 Great Ways to Repurpose an Unused Formal Living Room
• 3 Easy And Best Ways To Clean White Kitchen Cabinets – Plus, 3 To Avoid!
• 21 Cheap And Easy Ways To Make A Home Office Look Better!
• 24 Great Ways To Repurpose an Unused Dining Room
• 13 Best Ways To Make A Dark Bathroom Feel Brighter

Some DIYs You Might Like

Here’s how to Restain a Door without Removing It: Easy One Day DIY!.

This post about How to Remove Water Stain from Ceiling Without Paint – 1 Easy Step is always popular!

Check out the 11 Best Reasons To Cut The Cord With Cable: 4 Were SO Unexpected!

Feeling inspired? Now you’ve seen this list of dark hallway lighting ideas, get to work. And, good luck!