How to Increase Natural Light in Your Home

If your home is a little on the dark and gloomy side, here you’ll find some great ways to increase the natural light in your home, without having to install new windows. The key is to play around with the colors, fabrics, decorations, and textures. Let’s take a look at how to do it.

Let the light shine in

Sun is an essential part of our day-to-day lives. So much so in fact, that a lack of sun can cause feelings of depression. As such, the search for a bright home that gets plenty of natural sunlight goes much further than mere aesthetics.

The key is to allow the sun’s rays a clear path into your home, keeping any obstacles out of the way so that they can shine into every corner.

The best ways to increase natural light in your home

Keep furniture to a minimum

We don’t mean that your house should be empty, but it’s important to place larger pieces of furniture somewhere they won’t obstruct the light. Otherwise, they’ll simply absorb every ray of sunlight that comes into your home. In general, we would recommend placing them close to the walls.

When it comes to color, be careful when choosing dark tones, especially if you have a problem with the light levels in your home. Dark colors can make your home look dull, oversaturated and gloomy.

Increase natural light – knock down walls

What better way to increase the natural light in your home than to knock down one of your walls? You could remove one from your hallway or even your kitchen, replacing it with a glass wall or sliding door.

Textiles

Choose light, diaphanous curtains made from fabrics such as muslin, organdie or chiffon, and light, neutral colors. For greater privacy, you could add a second pair of thicker curtains and only close them at night.

When it comes to the rest of your upholstery, it’s best to choose patterned fabrics, one in a neutral tone, and another in brighter colors. This will help give your room greater depth and allow you to play around with light and shade to make your room seem brighter.

We would recommend using natural materials such as cotton or linen, as well as fabrics such as velvet. Because it’s shiny, the velvet will help your room seem warm, welcoming, and more spacious.

Increase natural light – color

All-white interiors are ideal when it comes to boosting the amount of natural light in your home. Paint the floors, walls, and ceilings in white, and use the furniture and decorations to add bursts of color.

Soft, light shades of gray, beige, green and blue can also be used to help rooms seem brighter. You can use these colors on upholstery and furnishings such as curtains, carpets, and bedsheets. However, it’s important to combine them with a brighter base color to create a sense of balance.

Reflecting the light

Mirrors have the power to reflect and amplify light, making rooms seem brighter and more spacious. Hang them strategically, choosing places they can capture the light and reflect it around the room.

Increase natural light – the walls

Wainscoting is a great way to brighten up any room, adding a sense of warmth and style. Half-wall wainscoting is ideal, and you can use a combination of colors to amplify the light. For example, you could paint the lower half in a darker tone, while painting the upper half and ceiling in white.

Decorative elements

Of all the many different ways you can increase natural light in your home, choosing the right decorative elements is one of the most basic. Glass will be one of your greatest allies. Try to incorporate glass vases and plenty of fresh, colorful flowers. Gold can also have a great impact – after all, it is the color of the sun.

Incorporating steel in the form of vases and candle holders can also bring a great deal of warmth to your home. However, you have to be careful when it comes to lamps. If you choose to buy a table or floor lamps, make sure to buy those that have fabric or natural fiber lampshades. If you can, you may want to try to avoid them altogether. There are so many other ways you can light up your home.

Now that you know all the different ways you can increase natural light in your home, it’s time to step out of the dark ages, and into the sun.