Question: A bedroom in our apartment only has a small window. Beside replacing the party wall in the dining area with glass, are there other ways to bring more light into this room?

Answer: Dark inner rooms are common in high-rise apartments. A simple solution would be to give your room a bright, reflective decor.

Paint the walls a chic, glossy white, and use a big mirror on the wall facing the window to double the light. Furnish with white furniture too. If you can go for a more extensive renovation, cut a row of clerestory – or horizontal windows at ceiling height in the party walls. For best impact, this L-shaped window should be cut to wrap along two walls – the corridor and the dining room wall. It will maximise the light from the living area that’s diagonally across from the dark bedroom.

Retain about 1.5m of the old wall and replace the narrow slot at the top of the wall with clear glass panels, which will bring more light into the inner bedroom without compromising your privacy.

Photography: Darren Chang
Design: Ho Wai Keong