Natural light is vital for our mood, our health and for creating a happy and cosy home. If you’re desperate to lighten up your home, read on to find out how to enhance the light already available and to bring more sunshine into your home!
Decorate with reflective surfaces to bounce light around the room and create a feeling of airiness and brightness in your space. Mirrors are a budget friendly way of increasing natural light and making your rooms feel more spacious.
It may seem like an obvious solution but an extra window or two can help bring an abundance of natural light into your home. Fitting windows the side of your house where there aren’t any already can make the world of difference as can adding French or bi folding doors to rooms. If new windows aren’t in your scope or budget, don’t worry. There are small things which can be done to maximise the light your current windows let in. First of all, make sure the windows are clean as dirty windows can block a lot of light! Opt for light coloured curtains or blinds as dark colours may absorb the light and open them fully each day.
Skylights are a great solution to a dark home and work especially well in loft rooms, kitchens and sunrooms where light may be scarce but is the most needed! They are available in a wide variety of styles and add a beautiful focal point to a room.
It’s not just mirrors that bounce light around a room! Anything with a shiny or reflective will help your room appear lighter. Think light gloss furniture, shiny floor tiles and accessories and fittings in gold, silver, brass or acrylic. This is your chance to get creative with your interiors, incorporating as much or as little of these ideas as you want, while boosting natural light in your home.
Ok, this one isn’t entirely about using natural light, but we can give mother nature a hand, right? By adding soft lighting in awkward or particularly dark spaces, you can improve the overall lightness of a room and in turn this will help maximise natural light. Under cabinet lighting in kitchens and under mirror lighting in bathrooms is a great idea and provides a lovely ambiance too. Lamps, LED rod lighting and pendant lights are all good options; rod lighting works especially well in dark wardrobes or dressing rooms.
Simply put, dark colours tend to absorb light whereas light colours help reflect it. Use satin finish paints to help bounce light around your room and keep ceilings light to create a sense of space. Keep flooring light and neutral or lighten up dark floors with a pale coloured rug or stencilling detail.
Whilst greenery outside is lovely, it’s important to keep any trees, bushes or climbing plants surrounding your doors or windows, pruned so they don’t block that natural light from finding its way into your home.
Decorate your room with light and neutral coloured rugs, artwork, cushions and throws to bring the whole look together.
Where possible use glass panes in your doors, both interior and exterior to allow natural light flow freely and easily through your house. They also look beautiful so it’s a win win!