How to Increase Natural Daylight in the Home
With the days getting darker and greyer the amount of natural daylight we are exposed to is becoming far less. We cover up more and rush hurriedly to where we are going to avoid excessive exposure to the colder temperatures, harsh biting wind, and torrential rain that always times itself to start when we step foot outside. The inadequate exposure to natural daylight can play havoc with our mental health especially those that suffer from seasonal affective disorder known as SAD.
The good thing is there are ways to help increase our exposure to natural daylight within our homes. Here are a few points to consider:
Open Curtains
I know it’s obvious, but, many of us are guilty of not opening our curtains in the morning when we get up. Closed curtains = no natural light. Adding curtain ties are a great way to increase the light coming into the room as these hold the curtains away from the window and as a result, more light flows through. The hubby tends to use Dunelm for these when he refurbishes properties as he loves the range available.
Choosing the Right Colour Palette
It makes sense to use the right colours when decorating your home to allow light to reflect off surfaces and make a room appear larger than it is. The opposite tends to happen when you use darker colours as they tend to absorb light giving a room a smaller appearance. Some rooms are exceptionally dark. Painting the walls a light colour isn’t always enough. Look at also using light coloured flooring to maximise the light in the room.
Windows
Wash your windows! We tend to try to walk to school most days. It’s shocking how many people don’t wash their windows. This affects the natural flow of light into the home.
If you own your home a great option is to consider changing old windows, exchanging a small window for a larger one or even adding windows where there aren’t any already. It’s becoming more popular to add floor to ceiling windows upstairs on first floors to open up the area, make the space look larger, draw in natural light and give a great view of the garden.
It’s vital to check the structural integrity of the wall where you plan to add the window. Naturally, there are experts that you will need to bring in to assist with this. Residential Architects can help with this sort of project. You’ll be given numerous ideas to choose from with a floor plan sketch with elevation (side view of that section). There will also be the option of 3D modelling. You may want to expose a corridor on your first floor. The architect will be able to advise on how best to place a series of large sheet windows that would not affect the integrity of your home. They will measure and draw up a plan that will include technical specifications and will be needed for the local council for planning permission. After this, the drawing will be used by the builder adding the window and finally by building control.
Large Glass Sliding Doors
If that’s not exciting enough and like me, you love natural daylight, another option is something equally as impressive is available. A few years back a friend of mine did some work on her home and added in giant sliding doors. They look amazing and let in so much light it’s unbelievable. It, of course, gives the illusion that her already large looking open planning kitchen and living room is even more spacious than it actually is. The room looks incredible and is certainly a talking point for those that visit for the first time.
Horizontal Windows
The large windows in your home don’t have to be on the walls. They can be on your ceiling. Horizontal windows are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to add light into some of the darker rooms in our homes. Their positioning allows light to enter the home for longer periods of time as well as providing more privacy.
As you can see there are various options to help increase the amount of natural light we are exposed too. Some are more costly than others but all with benefit us and the appearance of our homes.
What would you suggest to increase natural daylight into the home?
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I really need light in my house or I go crazy. My computer used to be in the back room where there was no light and I have been able to work so much better since I moved it in the front room.
I’m glad you moved to another room to work. It is shocking the difference it makes.
I love the idea of large glass sliding door, its something I would definitely like when we have our own house one day.
It is a lovely idea. The large ones look amazing!
Definitely needed these tips! We live in an end of terrace house and have trees all around so getting natural daylight to stream in can be so difficult!
Oh dear, that’s not good. Natural light is definitely something we need plenty of in the home.
Windows and large doors are a great way to get light in, in my old flat we had quite small windows in the bedroom which meant it could get quite dark in there x
I hope your new place is better.
I miss the feel of the sun through the winter! I am definitely one for throwing up all the curtains in the house. I also like to sit by the windows to get as much daylight as possible!
C x
I’m the same unless it’s really cold then they are all closed to keep in the heat.
It can be so difficult to add natural light into the home, especially in the autumn and winter. Some great tips, especially about adding horizontal windows
It really can. The windows can add so much light am make the home look amazing.
Ooo how fab, I love the idea of the large glass sliding doors. A great way to have light and fresh air in the room xx
It is and looks really good too.
Some really great tips and tricks here . We’ve gone for lighter paint as our house has literally no light but the lighter paint really has helped 🙂
That really does make a big difference as you will have seen. Better it makes the room look nicer and larger.
These are great tips, I love huge horizontal windows
The do look amazing!!!
I definitely need to wash my windows, it is something I am terrible at. We’re lucky to have a 2 story ceiling height in our hall, which lets in light at two levels. Mich X
You would be surprised the difference washing windows makes.
I love these ideas, simple but effective, I have a slide glass door in my living room and that lets a lot of natural light in.
It must be lovely to have the room well lit with natural light.
Some great ideas here. We have just finished a home renovation and its funny the things you have to think about isnt it!
It really is. Many don’t even realise until it’s too late.
Lots of great advice, I love adding more light into our house so will have to try some of these out, our dining room especially is quite dark in the day!
I’m glad this post was useful. It’s great that here are a varied number of options to help increase light in the home.
Having large windows or glass sliding doors helps to bring lots of light into the home. Light is so essential for a feeling of well being.
It really does make a difference even if we don’t realise it.
We get a lot of morning sunshine in our living room and we are lucky to have our windows installed in that position. It is very nice to have natural light except during the summer when it gets too hot too early in the morning!
If I have the background and large windows in the pics I wouldn’t even think of covering them up. Those are amazing sceneries to enjoy. I totally agree, we need sunlight and not getting enough of it affects our mood. I live in Chicago and we have the gloomy dark weather for more than half of the year. And I got deficient in Vitamin D because of that, so imagine me not wanting to go inside the house in the summer and just wants to soak all the vitamin D I could get in the summer, lol.
Windows are so important, I love huge windows to bring in light and also the colour palette you use in your home will either make it dark or bright. Great post.
I have to have natural light every day at my house. I recently moved to a new house and I am literally so happy because of the amount of daylight I have in my office, unlike my previous home.
Wow, these ideas are really amazing I love daylights I think Large Glass sliding doors would perfect idea for me 🙂 Thanks for this!
I suffer with SAD and these tips are fab. I try to do my blog work in the kitchen in the morning as that is where the sun is, then move into my living room in the evening
I love the idea of increasing the natural daylight at home and yes, color choice is a huge factor. Totally agree with you that white walls may not be enough but we have to consider the flooring too. Thank you so much for sharing these tips. They’re helpful and practical.