There are few things that can make a home feel more warm and inviting that warm, brilliant sunshine streaming in through the windows. Sunlight can brighten your spirits as well as your home’s ambiance, but you may have one or more rooms in your home that lack ample sunlight. This can easily create a dreary feel in the home, and you understandably may be looking for ways to bring more natural light into the darker areas of your home. There are numerous strategies to consider that impact your rooms in different ways, and a closer look at some of the top options may inspire you to make beneficial improvements to your home.
Clean Your Windows
Windows can get absolutely filthy on the inside and outside alike. Dirt, smudges and more can easily create a film that blocks light from entering your rooms. You may regularly clean the interior of your windows, but it may have been months or years since you last cleaned your home’s windows from the outside. You may need to remove the exterior screens to thoroughly clean the exterior of your windows. This can be time-consuming, but the effort will be well worthwhile when you enjoy more direct sunlight entering your rooms. More than that, this is one of the most cost-effective steps you can take to improve the light situation in your home.
Replace Heavy Drapes
Heavy drapes may create a gorgeous look on the interior of the room by adding texture and color, but they also have a strong tendency to block light. In the darker rooms of your home, you may consider replacing heavy drapes with sheers, valances or both. These can frame your windows with the decorative results you desire while also allowing more natural light to flow through the home.
Decorate With Mirrors
Updating your home’s accessories is another great option to consider. Mirrors are a wonderful decorative solution to consider, and this is because they reflect light. By reflecting light, the effects of a limited amount of natural light can be multiplied. Mirrors are more than a wall accessory. They can also be used on decorative candle holders, furnishings and other items in the room.
Paint the Walls a Lighter Shade
While dark and heavy drapes can block light, dark walls have a way of absorbing light and making a dark room feel even darker. A smart idea is to use lighter paint colors on the walls. This can brighten the space and reflect natural light better. You can even use a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint to reflect even more light throughout the space.
Use Reflective Tiles
Kitchens and bathrooms unfortunately are some of the darker rooms in the home. This may be because bathrooms are small and have room for only small or no windows. Kitchens often have cabinetry covering most walls, so they also do not have space for many windows. You can easily take advantage of the light in the space by installing reflective tiles. For example, you can find mirrored tiles, or you can use high-gloss ceramic tiles that have a brilliant sheen. Both can give you amazing results.
Focus on Your Landscaping
If you want to bring more light into the rooms, you may consider taking a closer look on the exterior of the property. Tall bushes and thick branches may be blocking sunlight from entering the windows. Trim bushes down away from windows to allow more sunlight to stream into the rooms. In addition, hire a tree trimmer to thin trees and to cut down limbs that are close to your windows to generate more light in the space.
Install Larger or More Windows
In some cases, more substantial efforts must be made to allow more light to enter the home. Each room is unique, so carefully analyze the space to determine the source of the issue in your rooms. You may find that small or poorly located windows are to blame. Installing larger windows or more windows in the room is a great idea to consider in such instances.
Install Skylights
You may have some rooms that are located in the interior of your home. Their location may not make it able to have any exterior windows at all, or you may only be afforded space for one small window. If this is the case, consider looking upward for proper window placement. Skylights can be smaller or larger in size, and they can dramatically increase the amount of natural light that can enter the space. Some skylights can even open and shut, allowing you to take advantage of the window for fresh air ventilation and temperature control as well.
Remove Walls
In many older homes, rooms are often contained by walls on all four sizes. This is in direct contrast to the more desirable open floor plan found in many modern homes. Walls can easily block natural sunlight from flowing from room to room, and this means that each room may only receive a limited amount of sunlight. When you remove walls and create an open floor plan in the home, you can maximize sun from the eastern side of the home in the morning and from the western side of the home in the later afternoon hours. This can be a major undertaking, but it can transform the home by enhancing light and even opening up more space in the home as well.
Many homes have at least one or two darker rooms. When you walk into these rooms, you may notice a sudden change in ambiance, and you may find that these rooms are less desirable to be in. There are numerous steps that you can take to improve the ambiance in the room by allowing more light to flow through the area. Some of these are easier ideas to implement than others, but all can have stunning improvements on the home. Take time to consider the reasons why your rooms feel darker and what can be done to address the issue with the most significant results.
