Sun tunnels from Velux help to maximise natural light at home
An abundance of natural light at home plays a big part in my vision of my dream home and there are so many reasons to maximise natural light at home. It has huge floor-to-ceiling windows to let in the maximum amount of natural light possible. Whether you are looking to transform one dark room at home or your entire house needs brightening up, light is critical. Allowing natural light into your living room or other parts of the home can create a more welcoming atmosphere and make the space feel more spacious. Let’s show you how to get the most natural light into any part of your home.
1. Install Translucent Blinds
Somerton Linen Voile Curtains from Thomas Sanderson
Translucent blinds are different from other types, like Venetian blinds, because they provide a soft filtered effect. A translucent blind is made of tightly woven materials that have soft holes, so they can enhance the overall ambience of your room. Blinds are a very useful tool to have in your living room because you have greater control over how much light comes into a space, like a living room.
Lots of people will opt for curtains, thinking this is the best way to control how much light comes in and out, but because curtains tend to be thicker, they instantly block out any form of sunlight. You can use lighter-coloured or lightweight curtains here to allow natural light to pass through, but if you already live somewhere where you don’t get much sunlight, you’ve got to “go blind!”
2. Use Light Colours
When we are looking at practical ways of creating more natural light at home, we need to give ourselves a fighting chance by looking at how we can reflect light. One of the best approaches is to opt for lighter colours, as this will make the room feel brighter. You can choose light-coloured walls, but you can also opt for furniture that’s got white accents. Reflection is such an important part of bringing natural light into our living space.
When it comes to furniture, you also need to position it in a strategic manner. This would include keeping large furniture away from windows as this can easily block a portion of the light. If you have a small living space with a lot of furniture, you may want to rethink the layout. For example, have your sofa against a back wall or, if your finances allow, go for a smaller item of furniture.
3. Mirrors and Reflective Surfaces
Riley Arched-top Full Length Standing Mirror from Neutypechic
If there is one simple way to bring more natural light into a dark living space, using reflective surfaces such as mirrors can be a fantastic interior design tool. Reflective surfaces work wonders at creating the illusion of more space, but you have to be careful in how you use them. You can do it by adding:
- Reflective surfaces like polished stone, glass, bronze, or metallic finishes can reflect light and create texture and depth.
- Light with well-placed mirrors. The best way to add light to a space is to ensure that it can bounce off those mirrors. One great way people make a space feel larger is by hanging mirrors in hallways near windows. You can also place them near light fixtures to reflect artificial light. While this may not have the same effect, if your ultimate goal is to make a space feel brighter, mirrors undoubtedly help, but be careful with how much you use them. Mirrors and reflective surfaces can be fantastic, but if you overload a space with mirrors, it can result in a far more cold and clinical environment. This is doubly true if you are reflecting artificial light. Artificial light can give that office lighting feel, especially with harsh white-coloured bulbs. Always go for functionality and aesthetics with the right balance.
4. Install Skylights
One of the best ways to increase natural light at home is to install skylights. Rooms that have limited window space will benefit from a skylight in the ceiling, as this will instantly bring in natural light. You can see the impact it has on places like the conservatory because the space feels bigger and brighter as a result of having more light penetrate from all angles. This is something you could do in an attic, and while a loft space is a very dark and dingy place, it doesn’t have to be if you are looking at bringing more light into your home.
5. Install Glass Doors
Preloved ProNorm kitchen sold via Rehome
Replacing internal wooden doors with glass doors will easily add more natural light to a room. Kitchens can benefit from glass doors because of what they can add to the space. They also provide instant views to an outdoor area. We need more greenery in our homes, as this can make us feel a lot better in ourselves, and if you opt for glass doors or any form of patio door with large glass panels, you are instantly adding more light that can flow into your living spaces.
6. Remove Obstructions Blocking Light
Photo by henry perks on Unsplash
On the topic of outdoor areas, you could benefit from removing any obstructions. If you have a large tree outside your property, as wonderful as this can be in terms of aesthetics, you are instantly losing the battle of the light. Where possible, trim or remove them so you can maximise the volume of sunlight in your home.
There are many tree removal specialists out there that can help you prune or remove your trees. Additionally, if you have a tree growing very close to your property, the roots could penetrate and cause structural issues over time, so it’s important to be mindful of this.
You could also benefit from trimming the interior foliage as well. If you have plants near your windows, make sure that you trim them on a regular basis so they are not obstructing sunlight. As beneficial as plants can be to our health and well-being if you are severely missing out on sunlight in your space, it’s worth keeping on top of this with some handy trimming tools nearby.
Clean Your Windows
As simple as this is, it is one of the best ways to ensure you are maximising your light transmission. Cleaning your windows inside and out can work wonders. Lots of people have a regular window cleaner but choose not to bother when autumn or winter hits because of the miserable weather. But if you want to stand a better chance of maximising what little sunlight you have during those months, being able to clean those windows inside and out will actually do a lot.
Don’t Forget Your Focal Points
A dark room can be a personal choice, especially if we want charcoal-type colours, but there has to be contrast. This is where focal points can elevate the mood and appearance of the space. Artwork or sculptures that are vibrant can instantly work as a focal point and create a far more impactful space. If we want to brighten up the space, we can use reflective surfaces, of course, but those focal points are also invaluable.
Another good example is to alter your ceiling. If you’ve painted the walls a specific colour and you don’t want to go through the rigmarole of painting again to reflect more light into the space, painting the ceiling with a high gloss paint colour is another way to add a reflective surface to a dark room. It instantly makes for that glossy sheen that can transform the feel of your space.
We all could benefit from letting the light in so we can either make the most of what little sunlight we have, or we can instantly elevate the quality of our living space. Whatever living space you want to upgrade or you are on the hunt for inspiration, there are so many options to increase the natural light at home.