Ways to increase natural light in the home
Fed up of feeling like you live in a cave due to your home’s lack of natural light? Although many people compromise by filling their homes full of artificial lights, this can result in extremely expensive electricity bills. There are plenty of things you can do to increase your home’s natural light, from simple things like changing the colour of your walls to more drastic measures like installing new windows. Here we will explain a few ways you can increase natural light in the home.
Keep colour schemes light
When it comes to painting a house that has little natural light, it is highly recommended that you stick to a light colour palette. Whites, creams and pastel shades will be your best options. The lighter the colour of your walls, the better they will reflect the light and make your home appear brighter.
If you want to add more colour to the rooms in your home, do it by using colourful accessories. Keeping your walls white or cream and using colourful lamps, ornaments and even furniture as accents will result in very stylish interior décor. Alternatively opt for a light, pastel colour palette. Pastel shades like mint green and blue are currently very fashionable and will look great in all rooms of your home from your bedroom, to your bathroom, living room and kitchen.
Another useful tip regarding wall paint is to choose a glossy paint over a matte paint. The glossier your paint is, the more it will reflect light, helping to make your rooms appear brighter. This is particularly useful in small box rooms, where you want to enhance the appearance of space, as well as maximise natural light.
Minimise window treatments
Whilst you may partial to a good window dressing, it may be one of the reasons why your home is lacking natural light. Although you will understandably want to use window treatments to retain your privacy and keep out peeping toms, you should stay away from dark curtains and blinds. Instead opt for light coloured, loosely woven curtains that you can tie back away from your windows in the day time. If you prefer blinds, choose ones that can be drawn all of the way to the top like venetians or roller blinds.
Install frameless windows and doors
One of the best ways to increase natural light in your home is to install frameless windows and doors. As the name suggests, these windows and doors do not have frames. This not only makes them more aesthetically pleasing but also helps to increase light exposure in the home. Frameless windows and doors certainly do not come cheap, but they will be worth the money you invest, as they will help to add value to your home.
There are many different styles of frameless doors and windows to choose from. They tend to run on rollers and can even be automated for easy operation. Whilst allowing you to benefit from more natural light in the home, they will also help to bring the outdoors inside, by giving you a stunning view of your garden.
To learn more about Frameless windows and doors click here to learn more.
Frameless doors and windows do not just have to be installed on outside walls. You can install them in between rooms in your home too. This will help to boost natural light by allowing your rooms to flow into one another and share light sources.
Knock down unnecessary walls
Whilst we are on the topic of walls, it may be worth considering knocking down any unnecessary walls in your home in order to improve the flow of natural light. For example, if you have a wall between your kitchen and dining room that is not a supporting wall, you could knock it down and give your home an open plan look. This will allow your living room to benefit from the light coming in from your kitchen and visa versa. It will also make your home appear much bigger and attractive to buyers, should you decide to sell it in the future.
Install TDDs or mini skylights
If there are rooms in your home that do not have windows (like the hall) why not install Tubular daylighting devices? TDDs are like mini skylights that have reflective pipes that are installed between the roof and the ceiling. The have a clear plastic dome with a diffused bottom to prevent glare and create a soft glow of natural light in the home. You can have multiple TDDs installed in a single room to help boost its natural light.
Choose light coloured wood flooring or tiles
Although carpets can make your home appear warm and cosy, they are known for absorbing light. If you are looking to increase the natural light in your home, we recommend installing light coloured wood flooring or tiles. If you are on a tight budget, you can always opt for laminate flooring instead, just make sure you choose a light colour. Glossy flooring and tiles will reflect the light in your home and bounce it around the rooms to make them appear brighter. If you are removing your carpets, make sure they are recycled or re-used to save them going to landfill.
Make use of mirrors
You can do so much more with a mirror that simply using it to check your appearance! Mirrors can be used to boost your home’s natural light and make your rooms appear brighter. When the sun shines into your home, it will bounce off your decorative mirrors and dart round the room. It is best to position the mirrors opposite the windows in your rooms. As the sun shines through the windows, it will hit the mirror opposite and reflect throughout the rest of the room.
Tidy up your garden
If your garden is overgrown with bushes and trees, this may be why you are not benefiting from much natural light. Spend a day tidying up your garden, ensuring you prune any overgrown bushes and trees. Trimming bushes and cutting down branches will stop them blocking the sun from reaching the windows of your home.
Why is natural light in the home important?
It is said that a home filled with natural light is a happier home to live in. Sunlight can lift people’s moods and make them feel cheerful. Although many people know that natural light helps to produce Vitamin C, it also has Vitamin D benefits too. Vitamin D is known for alleviating depression and aiding the absorption of other vitamins and minerals. It is therefore important that you flood your home with as much natural light as possible in order to reap its health benefits!
Conclusion
Rather than sitting there feel down because your home is so dark or panicking over the amount of money you are spending on electricity bills, why not try out some of the suggestions in this article, to improve natural light in your home? Start with the basics like lightening the wall colours and adjusting your window treatments to see if they make a difference. If you have the money to spend, it is definitely worth considering replacing the doors and windows in your house with frameless doors and windows to flood your home with natural sunlight and make it a happier place to live!
