When it comes to increasing light throughout your home, it not only looks better but research has shown that homes with more natural light, bigger windows and wooden walls can increase your happiness. This means good natural lighting is one of the main things people look at when buying a house; not all homes are created equal and have an excellent natural light source.
Ways to increase natural light inside your home
While many would pay nearly £5,000 more for a place with good lighting, being able to increase lighting within a darker home also isn’t impossible. You’ll need to get a little creative with your options, but there’s no need to let bad lighting hinder your ability to sell your home, your enjoyment of living there, or even the sale price if you choose to put it on the market.
1) Opt for white walls
Darker colours on a wall can absorb a room’s limited light and make it feel smaller and darker. Instead, opt for white walls and ceilings with splashes of colour on feature walls that help you maximise the light and make it feel brighter. White reflects the light, so if you plan on doing this for the best result, ensure that any walls that already get natural light are painted white to help reflect as much light around the room as possible or paint darker corners white to help increase the light flow in that area.
2) Add depth with mirrors
Mirrors are a great way of adding character and depth to a room, and hanging a mirror opposite a window can help you to reflect natural light back into a room. This trick can be used in any room in the house, instantly making a gloomy room feel much lighter.
3) Reflect light with surfaces and metal accents
Reflective surfaces will work just like mirrors in reflecting light around a room. You can use accessories or furnishings with in the room, i.e. lamps or artwork, hang glossy prints on a wall or even white high gloss furniture to brighten the room up a bit more.
4) Switch up your windows
While it may require a little more work, it might be that you need to change up to your windows by having new ones installed or by looking at your options to open a wall up to increase the window size. For some rooms, if they lead to your garden, for example, replacing windows with French doors or bi-folds could be worthwhile, to remove walls blocking light and allow more natural light to flood in. It’s always worth getting some quotes to see your options for making more permanent changes such as these.
5) Let the light flood in
If you only have small windows or limited natural light, then the last thing you want to do is block windows with stuff. Keep windows clear from furniture curtains covering the window or ornaments to help ensure that as much light can enter the room as possible. Making sure your rooms and home are as light and airy as possible can help you improve your happiness and enjoy a brighter living environment that enables you to appreciate your home more (and boost value when it comes time to sell!)
Photo credits: 1. The Modern House 2. The Design Files 3. The Modern House 4. Home Beautiful
