When you have a dark room, it can feel like a dungeon rather than a warm and inviting room you want to stay in. And while adding skylights or windows can brighten a room, they aren't in the budgets of many people. Here is how to brighten a room when you have a very limited budget to work with.

Change the curtains
Change any heavy curtains or drapes to something light and airy, such as a linen panels or the new style of guaze blinds. This will allow sunlight in while still giving you privacy

Paint the walls
The lighter your walls are, the brighter the room will seem. Love the shade of green on the walls? Just repaint with a paler version of this and your decor will still match! It doesn't need to be plain white to brighten the room, pale colors work too!

Limit the colors
The more colors you introduce into a room, a more crowded feel the room has. And too many dark accent colors will simply darken the room itself. Limit to one bold accent color, or two at an absolute maximum.

Strategic mirrors
Place mirrors in a way that reflect the natural light coming into the room, it help bounce it to darker areas of the room.

Cover dark furniture
Do you have a dark wood dining room set? Brighten it up a bit by making or buying full length chair covers for the chairs, that cover the backs right down to the floor. Use a table runner on the dining room table, which will still allow some of the wood to shine.