Improving the ambiance in an apartment can be challenging: you can't just enlarge a window or knock down a wall to make a rented space feel airy and bright. That doesn't mean you're relegated to a dark apartment, however. Rather, you need to get creative.

Custom mirrors and glass can help you achieve the bright feel in your home without permanently changing its structure. Consider these options to bring more light into your apartment.

Frameless Glass Shower Door

If you have a walk-in shower in your bathroom, you can have a frameless glass enclosure installed - the discreet hardware used doesn't alter the wall more than a picture frame hook.

That said, most apartments feature the tub and shower combo with a rod for hanging a curtain. The curtain, of course, blocks the flow of light in your bathroom. You could have a frameless shower door installed instead. The door's hinges are similar to the hardware for a shower enclosure, so your landlord shouldn't have any issue with its installation.

Glass Wall

Many modern apartments feature an open-plan layout, so there may be no distinction between dining and living areas. If you have a studio, there's also no distinction from the sleeping area. A glass wall can be a semi-permanent addition to create some delineation between areas.

The installation requires installing metal channels to the floor and ceiling, so you'll want to check with your landlord ahead of time. However, the result is worth the effort. Not only do you get that delineation of space, which can allow you to use it more efficiently, but the glass will reflect light. This light reflection helps create the bright ambiance in your apartment.

Mirrored Bathroom Wall

Most apartment bathrooms feature a simple medicine cabinet fronted with a mirror. Quite often these mirrors are small and hang at a level that's less than optimal for everyone. Custom-cut wall mirrors can help solve these deficiencies while also reflecting more light around.

How you approach this project depends on the existing set up. If you currently have a medicine cabinet that is recessed into a hole in the wall behind the mirror, you'll need to have mirrors cut to surround the existing mirror. If the medicine cabinet juts out from the wall, you can simply replace it with a mirrored half-wall.

A word of warning: be careful with what the mirror is reflecting. You don't want to expand the mirror so that it now reflects shower occupants or the toilet.

East- and West-Facing Mirrors

You know that hanging a mirror so it reflects any natural light increases that light in your home. However, if you want to bounce that light into all the dark corners of your apartment, be even more strategic: if you hang mirrors on walls that face east or west, you will ensure they have light to reflect at least half the day.

What's more, take some time to evaluate how the mirror reflects light into your space by tracking the light beam. If possible, find a way to bounce the beams even further into your apartment with strategic placement of another mirror or glass.

Mirrored Backsplash

Apartment kitchens can be notoriously dark with little in the way of task lighting. You can have task lighting installed, but this is an involved process that your landlord might not approve. Also, you may not want to pay for such an upgrade in a space that isn't yours. Instead, consider having mirrored backsplashes installed.

The two main areas for a backsplash are behind the sink and behind the stove. Evaluate which one will offer the most light reflection. Or, if it makes sense, mirror both. Rather than replacing any existing tile, you'll want to have the mirrors custom-cut and fitted so that you can hang them from the wall.

Custom glass and mirrors can greatly increase the amount of light in your apartment without permanently affecting the existing structures. Consult with Monterey Glass Specialists Inc. for a design plan to match your individual apartment's needs.