Introduce More Natural Light into the Home

well lit windows on corner living room

Natural light is a desirable feature of any home, especially in the winter during those grey, dreary days. Artificial light is okay in a pinch, but it doesn’t have the look, feel, and actual serotonin boost that real, authentic sunlight gives us. Plus, it’s free! With so many benefits to natural light in your house, it’s worth considering ways to boost its availability now or during your next renovation.

Don’t cover up. Make sure your window coverings aren’t blocking any part of your window when they’re open, up, or moved to the side. Curtains should slide all the way past the windows to hang and cover the wall. Pull those blinds all the way up. If you feel slightly uncomfortable with fully-opened windows, consider a sheer curtain, translucent windows, or glass bricks that obscure shapes. You’ll still be blocking a fair amount of light, though, so it’s a trade off. Put on a display of light after nightfall with led curtains from https://www.brightlightz.co.uk/outdoor-lighting/led-curtain-lights. These are perfect for everyday use and also popular with special events like parties and weddings.

Make windows the main feature. Have any rooms with one or more large, bare walls? They might be good for displaying your art tastes right now, but if you seriously need to shed some light on your situation, consider going for it and install a series of several windows in a row and bathe the whole room in light. This works especially well when an attractive backyard or side yard will be on display outside and not a busy intersection.

Install windowed doors. Have entry doors, patio sliders, or garden doors installed with prominent windows or entire glass constructions. If you still prefer a glass-free door, have sections of window added to the sides and above the door instead.  

Enhance interior and exterior design with shapes or custom windows. Add distinctive flare with round, elliptical, gothic, octagonal, extended segmental, or other shapes of windows. Professional designers and manufacturers can create custom shapes to meet unique and unordinary design concepts, too. Put windows into non-traditional spaces or work around what you’ve already got. Replace current windows with better designs and larger selections. Choose windows that have a higher glass to frame ratio.

Let the experts know you’re interested in increasing natural light when requesting important information about replacement windows so they can recommend the optimal choices.

Paint with light colors. Light paint doesn’t just ‘appear’ lighter and trick our brains. Lighter paint has a higher light reflectance value. White has the most and black the least, with other colours ranging in-between. A glossier and less matte paint will also cause more light to bounce around instead of being absorbed. Ceilings should be kept white for the same reason, and darkly-coloured ceilings also distort depth perception and spaces feel more enclosed. Or try ceramic tiles that provide reflection in the kitchen, bath, or even mosaic walls in the living room.

Take a look in the mirror. Mirrors also, naturally, reflect light. So, look for some large basic mirrors, or get fancier with shapes or ornate frames to match your interior design. A series of smaller and medium-sized mirrors placed together will also enhance light.

Look to the skies. Have a skylight or series of skylights installed in your ceiling to really bring in a wash of light. Be sure to have an easy means to clean them, however. No one wants to look up and see a pile of leaves and dirt that will also block the light from getting in.

If all else fails, artificial light is better than no light. Look for LED bulbs that give off a ‘daylight’ glow to mimic the real thing as best you can.

About Amanda

I love to buy a lot of products for the home, and dissect them out. I split them into duds and winners, and share the findings here on my site. As a reader of my site, I'm aiming for your next purchase to be an informed and inspired one.

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