Light is integral to any interior. Without access to light, we can’t perform our regular daily activities, not to mention the influence light has on our mood and mental state. Natural daylight is the most potent and important in this regard. It’s the only form of light that will provide you with the vitamin D you need for your body to function properly, so making sure that your home is filled as much as possible with it is one surefire way to improve your health.
However, not every home has easy access to natural light. Whether because it’s surrounded by large buildings or trees or perhaps it’s simply a building made during a time when windows were made small and natural daylight wasn’t a priority, some homes are just harder to fill with light than others. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to living in the shadows. Here are some tips on ensuring that your living room is always filled with natural light.
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Use Light Colors
You’d be surprised with how far you can get in making your living room seem brighter by just making sure you use dark colors. While dark colors can look very elegant, they’re also certain to make your home look much smaller and gloomy if used in a smaller area that’s already quite dark. Dark colors absorb light while light ones reflect it, so the more light elements you have in your living room, the more light bounces around, illuminating the entire place. Maximize your living room daylight with light walls, floors, and furniture.
Place Your Furniture Around Strategically
Of course, light furniture won’t do you a lot of good if you just place your couch in front of your only window and block half the sunlight that comes in. If you’ve got little sunlight to go along, you have to make absolutely sure every last ray of sunlight is entering your home and adding light into it. Place your furniture in such a way that there is an unobstructed path the daylight can take and illuminate the rest of your room.
Mirrors Are Your Friends
Adding mirrors into your living room is one way to make it appear larger, but it’s also the perfect way to make it seem brighter. Just like light colors, mirrors reflect light – even moreso, which makes them particularly efficient at making a room feel brighter.
Consider Soft Perimeter Lighting
Now, while natural lighting is definitely the superior route, you can actually make your home feel brighter effectively by using artificial lighting. Overhead lighting may be a bit overbearing in that regard, though, so try to set up some soft perimeter lighting for the best result. Standing lamps, desk lamps, or wall lamps will do a good job of making your home feel brighter and warmer without feeling like it’s too much.
Add Roof Windows
The last thing to consider is also the most effective one. Roof lights are an incredibly popular solution nowadays, and it’s with good reason. Most homes have the space for you to add them and due to the angle the sunlight comes in, you’ll actually get much more light in than you would with a regular window. So if all else fails and your home is still dark, a roof window will be the solution you’ve been looking for.
