January blues getting you down? Are you fed up of those long winter nights? Is your house feeling dark and gloomy?  If you have some spare time on your hands, check out our top tips on how to make your house brighter this winter.

Sunlight is short during the winter, but hanging mirrors opposite windows in the house can double the amount of light by allowing it to bounce off the reflective surface. Smaller mirrors in dark hallways can also help to brighten the area by visually expanding the area.

If the trees in your garden are hanging down by windows, they can limit the amount of light getting into your home. Regularly trimming branches and overgrown bushes will allow more light into a room.

Brighten up your walls with a new lick of paint, however be sure to use matte paint which will allow the light to be reflected across the room. A white or neutral colour scheme will also allow more light to be reflected around the room and remember to always paint the ceiling one shade lighter than the walls which also helps to reflect the light.

Ditch the big heavy curtains and dark paintings on the walls. Heavy curtains can absorb the light and make a room feel dark and gloomy so switch these up for some translucent curtains which allow the light to spread through the room. Paintings on the walls can also absorb the sunlight that comes into a room therefore its best to keep these for the brighter summer months.

Lose the clutter. Cluttered shelves and tables can make a room feel darker so get organised this New Year and un-clutter your house. Send those unnecessary belongings to the local charity shop and brighten up your house in the process.

Hopefully these tips will help to shift those January blues and stop those winter nights from feeling so gloomy.