Enhance Your Home’s Atmosphere With These Natural Light Ideas
April 28, 2023
6 min read
Natural lighting can have a profound impact on the overall ambiance of a home. It can make rooms feel wide and more inviting and even help improve our moods and energy levels.
Creating a warm and welcoming environment can be challenging if your home lacks natural light. But don't fret! There are easy ways to increase natural light in your home and brighten your living spaces. Keep reading to find out how to increase natural light in your home.
10 Clever Ways to Increase Natural Light in Your Home
Having ample natural light in a home helps to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Not only does it provide a sense of connection to the outside world, but it can also help to improve your overall health and mood.
However, not all homes are with an abundance of natural light. If you're looking to increase the amount of natural light in your home, there are several ways to do so.
1. Use Light-Colored Wall and Ceiling Paints
The interior paint can affect the amount of natural light reflected in a room. Glossy paint gives walls a mirror-like effect, thus increasing the amount of light reflected. On the other hand, a flat or matte paint, with its porous and velvet-like texture, will absorb more light and reduce its reflective qualities.
By considering the balance of reflection and absorption and taking into account the room's light condition and your preferences, you can enhance the natural light in your home, making it appear more open and bright.
2. Add Skylights
Skylights are an excellent solution for bringing in natural light. Often referred to as "windows for the roof," skylights provide a large amount of light, similar to a medium-sized window. Moreover, skylights face upwards, allowing direct sunlight to enter.
Skylights provide the perfect balance of natural light and consistent illumination, with an unobstructed view that is seldom found in traditional windows. Thanks to the sun's reflection off clouds, even on overcast days, its rays can still penetrate your home!
3. Install Solar Tubes
If skylights are not feasible due to space limitations, a cost-effective and easy-to-install alternative is a solar tube. A solar tube is a tubular device that channels natural light into interior spaces.
The main difference between sun tubes and conventional skylights is that sun tubes do not require a separate light shaft. Traditional skylights need cutting an opening in the roof and another in the ceiling, connecting the two with a light shaft, often made of materials such as two-by-fours, drywall, and insulation.
The additional cost and the limitation of a straight-line light shaft, which can be problematic when dealing with HVAC vents or other obstructions in the attic, can be avoided by installing sun tubes instead.
4. Invest in Glass Blocks
Revamp your home with a unique and glowing touch by replacing sections of the exterior walls with glass blocks. These blocks make for an aesthetically pleasing upgrade and help introduce natural lighting into otherwise dark areas within the house.
While glass blocks are a beautiful and modern design element, they cannot be load-bearing parts. Thus, headers need to be installed above them to ensure that your window or door has adequate structural support.
5. Include Reflective Elements
Designing a room with reflective elements can enhance overall aesthetic and functionality. Reflective surfaces can help create the illusion of a larger space while adding depth and dimension to the room.
A chandelier can also add brightness to a room when natural light reflects off of it. Even when the chandelier is off, the sunlight can spread additional light into the room.
You can still achieve the same effect of natural light reflection even without installing a chandelier. Incorporating shiny, glossy, and reflective room elements, like adding mirrors, glossy sconces, and bright cabinet pulls, can also help to reflect and spread light around the room.
6. Maximize Windows
One of the most obvious ways to increase natural light in your home is by maximizing your windows. This can be done by removing heavy curtains or blinds and replacing them with sheer or light-filtering options. Additionally, you can install reflective window films, which help to bounce natural light back into the room.
Another option is to install reflective window films on your windows. These films have a special coating that helps to reflect natural light into the room, effectively increasing the amount of light that enters the space. They can be a cost-effective way to brighten a room up and make it more open and inviting.
7. Incorporate Glass or Reflective Tiles
Glass tiles are a wise option for kitchens or bathrooms where more light is needed due to their highly reflective nature, which reflects nearly 100% of the light that shines on them. This makes them an ideal option for spaces lacking in natural light, as they can help light up the room and create the illusion of more space.
Glass tiles can also add an element of visual interest to the room. They come in different styles, from solid colors to intricate patterns and designs, which can create a beautiful and unique focal point in the space.
8. Remove Obstructions
Another essential step in increasing natural light in your home is eliminating obstacles preventing light from entering your living space. These obstacles can be overgrown bushes or trees outside your windows to large furniture pieces blocking light from entering a room.
You'll allow more natural light to enter your home by removing these obstructions, making it feel brighter, more open, and more welcoming. Also, make sure to regularly clean your windows, as dirty windows can reduce the amount of light that enters your home by up to 30%.
9. Use White Paint for the Home’s Eaves
One simple but often overlooked way to increase natural light in your home is by painting the leaves white. Eaves are the horizontal projecting parts of a roof, usually found at the bottom of the roof, that hang over the walls of a building. By painting the eaves white, you can effectively reflect more light into your home.
Painting the eaves white also has the added benefit of creating a clean and modern look for your home's exterior. The simple, clean lines of white eaves can add a touch of elegance to the overall look of your home, making it more visually appealing.
10. Ensure Proper Mirror Placement
Mirrors are great for reflecting natural light and making a room feel brighter. Placing a large mirror opposite a window can help to bounce natural light back into the room, making it feel more spacious and open.
In addition to increasing natural light, mirrors can add a decorative element to a room. They can be used as standalone pieces or incorporated into other elements, such as a mirror.
Mirrors can also be a great way to create an illusion of more space in a small room by reflecting the existing space. It is important to note that mirrors should be placed strategically to reflect the most natural light and avoid any reflection that can be bothersome or cause glare.
Unlock Your Home’s Natural Lighting Potential
By incorporating these simple solutions, you can increase the natural light in your home, creating a more inviting and healthy living environment. Whether you're looking to add skylights, maximize your windows, or simply paint with light colors, there are plenty of ways to increase natural light in your home.
Remember that while these are a good start, it's always a good idea to consult a professional before making significant changes in your home.
References:
https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/how-solar-tubes-work https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/types-of-skylights-for-your-home/ https://blog.solarart.com/does-reflective-window-film-really-keep-out-the-heat https://www.forbes.com/sites/deringhall/2020/01/10/how-to-maximize-natural-light/
