Ways To Get More Natural Lighting Into Your Home
Natural lighting is great for creating a warm atmosphere, but did you know natural light also positively impacts your health? You can take several measures to get more natural light into your space without significant renovations. In this guide ’20 Ways To Get More Natural Lighting Into Your Home’, we highlight the various indoor and some outdoor tricks used by experienced Interior Designers, DIYers and homeowners – who have integrated natural light sources in and around their homes with great success.
Here to inspire you to … LET THE LIGHT IN!
20 Ways To Get More Natural Lighting Into Your Home
- Paint surfaces in lighter gloss paint colours
- Paint your walls and ceilings white
- Use glass or highly reflective tiles
- Use reflection to bring in more light
- Replace wall space with glass blocks
- Replace dark flooring with light reflecting colours and materials
- Install solar tubes or skylights
- Use reflective surfaces and accessories
- Place your furniture strategically
- Don’t block the windows & keep them clean
- Replace solid wooden doors with glazed ones
- Use light-colored window treatments
- Add more plants to your home
- Use artificial lighting wisely to give an extra boost
- Consider glass floors and staircases
- Choose south-facing rooms in your home for busy living spaces
- Paint the home’s eaves white
- Insall skylights
- Replace wall or roof materials with transparent materials
- If extending, consider a glazed extension or oversized access to your garden
Further Reading: How To Renovate Your Home On A Budget With 17 Easy Tips!
Get More Natural Lighting Into Your Home – In More Detail
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Painting Surfaces In Lighter Gloss Paint Colours
Painting surfaces in a lighter gloss paint colour is an easy and cost-effective way to brighten up your home and bring in more natural light. The glossy finish helps to reflect the light, giving the room a brighter and wider atmosphere.
Lighter colours also minimise the need for artificial lighting during the day due to their reflective properties. Of course, these benefits come with a caveat – darker colours absorb light, making them appear smaller than they are compared to brighter colours which open up a room.
To ensure that you are maximising all of the natural light that comes into your home, paint all walls, mouldings, ceiling beams, or any other feature in one unifying colour but make sure it’s a lighter hue rather than dark.
Further Reading: 7 Worthwhile Upgrades That Will Give Your Home a Facelift
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Using Reflection To Bring In More Light
Mirrors, glossy white finishes, and glass-paned doors or windows can all help to bounce sunlight around in an otherwise dim room. Strategic use of reflective objects will not only make a space seem brighter and less gloomy but also visually expand the area.
Place mirrors facing windows, so they catch the light coming in and emphasise its brightness. Position lighter floors opposite dark walls to enhance the contrast of incoming light and balance out any rooms with outwardly facing windows.
For example, use glossy tiles on one wall of your bathroom instead of painting it to add a lot more light while increasing the sense of spaciousness. With some creativity and strategic placement, you can make your home much brighter with minimal effort.
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Replacing Wall Or Roof Materials with Transparent Materials
Replacing wall and roof construction materials with more transparent options is one of the easiest and most effective ways to let in extra natural light. For example, easy installation of glass blocks can be used to replace traditional brick or concrete block walls to provide clear sightlines across multiple rooms.
Alternatively, Polycarbonate Roofing offers a perfect solution for those looking to increase the amount of indirect sunlight entering a building while protecting it from moisture. Click over to clearambershop.com to check out our range of polycarbonate roofing.
Further Reading: How to Put a Personal Stamp on a New Home – in 9 Homely Ways
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Installing Skylights
Reflective flooring, surfaces and light colour palettes help bounce light but skylights can be a great way to actually allow more natural light into your home. Installing skylights in the right places in your home’s ceiling can result in more aesthetically-pleasing indoor lighting and improved comfort within the space.
Skylights provide many benefits, such as increasing natural ventilation and reducing energy costs by decreasing the need for artificial lighting. When installing skylights, certain safety measures should be taken, such as using shatterproof glass or installing protective guards.
There are plenty of these indoor and outdoor tricks to incorporate natural light sources into your home with great success. From painting all surfaces in a lighter gloss paint colour to installing skylights, you can easily brighten up your space and make it feel more inviting. With some creativity and strategic placement, you can make your home much brighter with minimal effort.
Photos by Charlotte May
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