Finishing a dark, dreary basement is a great way to add extra living space to the home, but it does come with some challenges. Here, you'll find a few things that can help you brighten up the dark basement so that it's more inviting and warm to use throughout the year.

Install LED Light Panels

A great way to illuminate the entire basement with clean light is to install LED light panels. These panels come in various sizes, shapes, and styles, so you can easily find a design that will not look as commercial as all of these light fixtures once did.

Did you know that once you have these lights installed, you can order panel covers that are decorated to replace the stock clear or frosted ones? You can! You might have seen them in some doctors' offices or daycare centers – they can be painted to look like clouds, rainbows, or even abstract or basic designs. It's just a nice way to add some color to the ceiling while providing light for the space.

Consider a Sun Tunnel or Two

Sun tunnels are just what they sound like: they are tunnels that are installed through the walls or ceiling of the basement and lead outside to provide sunlight access to the basement. These sun tunnels come in all different sizes, so if you just have a dark corner that you want to add some natural light to, a sun tunnel can be installed and the natural light will fill that space.

A lot of people like to use sun tunnels in areas that are trafficked a lot. This way, the area stays illuminated during the day, and someone doesn't always need to turn the lights on and off during the day.

Install Faux Windows

You can also hang the LED light panels on the wall and create faux windows for the basement. Just frame the light panel as you would a window and hang a sheer curtain over it, and you've got your faux window. It can look like the sun is shining outside even at midnight with just the flip of a switch.

If you're artistic, you can paint a mural onto the panel screen so it looks like there's scenery outside the window – or you could look for a panel cover with a mural already on it.

These tips will help to brighten up your dark basement and make it more inviting no matter what time of day it is.