The best light solutions for windowless rooms

June 9, 2021

Rooms without a window — basements, bathrooms, or other interior rooms, for example — can feel dark or cold and be a real challenge to decorate. Fortunately, there are plenty of light solutions for windowless rooms that are easy to implement and don’t require any reconstruction. Follow our tips and tricks to transform your windowless room into a cozy, bright, and welcoming space. 

The number one thing a windowless room lacks is sunlight — so replicate it! A tunable smart bulb with warm-to-cool white light works great for mimicking the sun. If you’re using your windowless room in the morning or during the day, a cooler blue light will help you feel energized and focused. Later in the day, use warmer, dimmed light to mirror the sunset and trigger your mind and body to relax.

Bright idea: Use Philips Hue White ambiance bulbs, which have four preset light recipes designed to follow the sun’s rhythm, in fixtures around your windowless room. Set the Energize light recipe in the morning to help you wake up, Concentrate to focus on your tasks, Read to dig into your next novel, or Relax to wind down after a long day.

With no window to share the lighting load, there’s more pressure on the light fixtures in the room to create brightness and ambiance. The type and number of fixtures you need will depend on the size and purpose of the room. When it comes to windowless rooms, more is more — having multiple light sources at your disposal will help boost brightness, create layers, and diffuse light uniformly.

Lighting one area more intensely than another creates a harsh contrast in a room without windows, so use overhead lighting to evenly illuminate the room. For smaller rooms, a single ceiling fixture distributes a uniform wash of light across the room. If your windowless room is bigger, use spotlights or recessed lighting to fill in the areas the ceiling fixture doesn't reach. 

You don’t have to rely on overhead fixtures alone! Lamps are a vital light solution for windowless rooms. However, it's wise to avoid lampshades, as they soften light, and you need to go bright. Instead, use table lamps that cast light upwards, such as the Iris table lamp, to increase brightness and warmth. Dark corner that needs some love? Use the Signe floor lamp to wash it in vibrant light.

If you have a small bathroom with no window, install a dedicated mirror light, such as the Adore vanity mirror alongside your ceiling fixture. That way, you’ll always have the perfect, bright light for getting ready and looking your best each day.

Having the right light fixtures in place is all well and good, but if you choose decor in light-zapping colors, you’ll find yourself in darkness. Don’t skip these color tips for how to brighten a room with no windows.

Dark colors absorb the light in a room, whereas lighter colors reflect light and add energy. But that doesn’t mean you should go all white, as it can look too stark. White ceilings are ideal for bouncing light, but consider a richer cream or ivory on your walls. If you want colored walls, pastel tones are perfect for keeping windowless rooms light. 

The same idea applies to flooring and furniture. Stick to neutral or pastel-colored rugs and lighter wood furniture to ensure the space has an airy, open feel.

Bigger windowless rooms can appear even larger with a brightly colored wall, which makes the two neutral walls surrounding it look longer. If you don’t want to commit to a painted or wallpapered wall, you can use colored light to create a statement. Try placing a Hue Go or two on a side table to cast bright, colorful light onto your wall.

Bright idea: Room too small for a statement wall? Use bright furniture, accessories, and art to add pops of color that contrast against light-colored walls, ensuring your windowless room doesn’t feel sterile. 

You’ve chosen your light fixtures and created an airy space — now, for the finishing touches. Get creative in the way you use your lights and add a few extra details to the room to make it feel even more cozy and complete.

Add smart LED strips under shelves or cabinets for subtle additions of light that lift the overall brightness of the room. If you’re using your windowless room to watch movies or play video games, you can even add smart LED strips behind your TV or PC to create a more immersive entertainment experience and reflect light off the wall in the process. 

A windowless room should never be without a mirror. They add depth, bounce light across the room and, if you choose a rectangular mirror with a frame, can even replicate the look of a window. You can even add several mirrors around the room that bounce the light off each other to really open up the space.