Question: My stairwell looks dark and gloomy all the time. Is there any way to make it look brighter without having to keep the lights on throughout the day?

Answer: Dim stairwells are a common problem in semi-Ds and terraces, as stair wells tend to be located in windowless corridors.

First, visually expand the stairwell by painting its walls bright white. A bolder approach would be to glam it up using a gloss or pearlescent paint. However, do make sure the walls are smooth and flat as gloss paint will emphasise every bump in the surface. Or try ICI Dulux’s Light and Space paint, which is formulated with light-reflecting materials that will make a dark space feel brighter and bigger.

Try to “borrow” light from other areas too. If there is a window at the top of the stairs that can throw in light, mount a big, tall mirror on the opposite side to reflect in sunlight and, hopefully, a pretty view.

If you are doing a reno, cut a window in an adjoining bedroom wall to let sunlight pass through. Cactus Design also integrated a light box at the window’s side to illuminate the stairs below.

Design: Cactus Design