A house full of natural light is inviting and makes you feel relaxed. In the guide below, I will take you through some of the best ways to improve natural light in your house.
A house illuminated by natural light is better than the one lighted up by light bulbs.
Natural light not only makes your body feel good and energetic but also increases the feel-good serotonin levels in you.
So many times during the construction of a house, many contractors do not consider the need for natural light.
Lack of light can be very frustrating when the skies are dark and dull during the winter season, making your house dark and gloomy.
Even though it is easy to brighten your home with some artificial lighting, it is also important to note the benefits of natural lights to humans.
Serotonin in our bodies makes us more energetic and less sleepy.
The more you have natural light in your home, the less the power bill will be at the end of the month.
In the guide below, I will highlight some best ways to improve natural light in your house.
Read more on How to Cool Down A Room Having No Windows: 15 Hacks
Read more on The Top 8 Ways To Hang A Wreath On A Fiberglass Door: Complete Guide
Best Ways To Improve Natural Light In Your House: 10 Excellent Tips
Adding natural lighting in your home does not need to be complicated; instead, it involves simple things such as changing curtains, wall color, or even some additions.
On the other hand, it might also need structural changes like additional windows and the roof’s opening.
To make the right choice on what changes you need to make, ensure to walk around your home and identify the places that require the changes.
In addition, have a budget and a plan to achieve your changes. Below are the 10 best ways to improve natural light in your house.
1. Paint Your Dark Space With White
White colors, unlike dark and cool colors such as navy blue and dark brown, can brighten your space.
Dark colors absorb light while bright colors such as white reflect light, thus illuminating a dark room.
If you are not a fan of pure white color, you can use other shades of white, light grey, or even cream colors.
White colors reflect light and make your house appear brighter and cozy.
Paint your ceiling with a brighter shade of white than your walls.
Ensure to test several shades of white or other light colors to enable you to make the correct choice according to your preference.
Overall, white is the perfect color to brighten any dull room, irrespective of the shade.
2. Roof Lantern
The bathroom is one of the spaces where many people find it challenging to increase natural light.
It is always considered private, so all its surroundings are covered with opaque material or walls.
On the contrary, you can increase natural light in your bathroom without compromising privacy.
A roof lantern will illuminate your bathroom and still maintain your privacy.
Roof lanterns provide a beautiful view of your surrounding environment while still brightening your space.
3. Install A Skylight/Roof Light Into Your Home
Also referred to as windows for the roof, skylights usually allow a lot of sunlight into your house, unlike ordinary windows.
Skylights are obvious ways to add natural light to your home.
Skylights flood natural light to the darkest and dull room in a house.
Their positioning at the top of the roof means natural light will flow into your home consistently during the day without any interruptions.
If it’s too sunny, making your room overheat, you can add some blinds to reduce the direct sunlight.
4. Install Reflective Or Glass Floors
Remember that just like dark walls, dark tiles will always absorb light and make your kitchen or even bathroom look dull and dark.
Glass tiles, on the other hand, reflect light, which hits them up to almost 100%.
A reflective floor will always brighten your room from the light reflecting. Next after the glass tiles is the glossy ceramic tiles.
Compared to a concrete floor, a floor with white polished ceramic tiles will always look brighter and illuminate your room.
In addition, a well-polished wooden or concrete floor will always shine more light than the carpets.
Nevertheless, if you love rugs on your floor, ensure to use rugs that are bright in color.
5. Spot Clean Your Windows.
After a while, we all know windows can accumulate a lot of dust and dirt from the outside.
Dusty windows can choke a lot of light from coming inside your house, making it gloomy.
Regularly clean your windows to avoid the accumulation of dirt and dust.
In addition to cleaning your window, ensure your curtains are not heavy.
Sheer curtains will always allow more light into your house, unlike heavy curtains.
6. Use Tinted/Bi-Folding/Frosted Doors And Windows
If you have budgeted well and can afford to install new doors and windows, then frosted doors and windows can effectively allow light in your space like a bathroom and provide privacy.
In addition, you can install bi-folding doors, also known as the sliding door, to replace an entire wall.
The glass wall will be able to allow sufficient light in your dark living room or even a kitchen.
When installed in your living room, sliding doors can provide adequate room for a breathtaking view of your garden.
In addition, you can replace your solid door with a door that has a window attached to it for the kitchen or laundry room.
Also, you can install a door with frosted glass at the top for more light and privacy.
Glass doors make your space beautiful and are good at letting light in your house.
7. Decorate Your Kitchen Space With Glass Blocks
If not well thought of during construction, laundry rooms and kitchens tend to be ignored when it comes to natural lighting.
Glass blocks can work well in such spaces. Replace some sections of your kitchen wall with some glass blocks for some light to illuminate.
When installing glass blocks, ensure to put some headers for them and the wall to be sturdy.
8. The Mirror Magic
Mirrors are good reflectors of light, and they usually make any space appear more prominent than usual.
When mirrors are installed correctly and placed strategically, they can help direct the natural light from the sun to any spaces you feel are dark in your house, especially the staircase and the hallways.
Many interior designers use mirrors to make rooms look bigger and reflect light.
When placed opposite any window, mirrors can even reflect much more light.
In bathrooms, metal fixtures under any mirror can help reflect the light more.
If you are financially ready and capable, you can opt for mirrored ceilings and walls.
9. Clear Any Obstructions From The Light Source
Ensure your windows and doors stay clear of any cutter which might block any light from coming into your house.
Your garden trees and flowers might have grown tall without knowing, thus blocking the much-needed light you want inside the house.
Trim and clear all the trees and flowers growing tall in your garden and blocking windows and doors.
Furniture’s which have been placed against windows and doors can also block natural light into your house.
Bookshelves that have been placed directly behind a window can block the light.
Move those bookshelves and seats away from the windows.
10. Install Glazed Gables/ Sun Tunnel
Sun tunnels are roof penetrations that help illuminate your home with natural light.
The goodness with sun tunnels is that they do not need any direct sunlight to brighten your room.
Sun tunnels can either be flexible or rigid. The flexible ones are used where it might not be easy to fix it straightforward.
Sun tunnels can help illuminate your washrooms and even dressing rooms.
Sun tunnels are installed in spaces where it’s not easy to install windows.
On the other hand, glazed gables are more sophisticated than a skylight.
Benefits Of Natural Light In Your House
i. Natural Light Reduces Your Energy Bills.
Using natural light from the sun automatically reduces your monthly electricity bills.
Natural light brightens your home without the need of using electricity.
ii. Source Of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in our bodies.
Once absorbed by the skin, the nutrient is vital in preventing bone loss and reducing the risk of heart disease.
iii. Boosts The Value Of Your House For Sell
Natural light through windows can make your house appear big and open enticing people to occupy the space.
A good view of your garden from the house through the big windows makes your home appealing, and any buyer will always be ready to pay a reasonable price for it.
iv. Lowers Fluorescent Lights Health Risks
Spending your time under natural light automatically reduces the period you spend under unnatural lights.
Exposing yourself to the fluorescent lights throughout the day and night tends to increase someone’s strain of the eyes and migraines.
v. Best For Indoor Plants
Sunlight is not only good for human beings but also the plants. Indoor plants help purify indoor air, and as such, they require sunlight for their growth.
Final Thoughts On The Best Ways To Improve Natural Light In Your House
Every house needs access to natural light from the sun.
If your home has a limitation on having natural light, a few modifications from here and there can make all the difference.
Even though some adjustments like adding new windows and installing skylights might be expensive, few are easy to achieve at home without incurring much cost.
But always remember it does not have to be that expensive, and above are some of the tips you can apply and achieve a bright house.
