Figuring out how to get more sunlight into a room will have your energy bills lowered from month to month. You’ll also enjoy an increased mood thanks to the increased levels of vitamin D you’ll be getting from the sun. No one likes to get home from work to a dark and dreary home, and for that reason, it always helps to learn some tips in bringing more natural light into your home.
When you have more natural light getting into your home, you won’t have to constantly turn on all of the other artificial lights that can all too often increase your energy bill. Natural light windows can make your home feel warmer in the colder months of the year and the light will also get rid of bacteria in locations of your home that are wet and dark.
There are a number of ways to design your home in a way that will reflect light throughout it. Sometimes people decide to go with design elements such as glass doors and orient things in a certain way so that more natural light will be bounced around the home.
Orientation
The orientation of certain things in your home is one of the easiest ways that you can maximize natural light throughout it. Knowing where the sun is at certain points of the day will give you a better idea of where to situate things in your home. If you reside in the northern hemisphere when the sun is situated in the south. That means the walls that are on the southern side of your home will get the most natural light from the sun.
To make the most of the sunlight, you’ll want to arrange your home in a way that the longest part of it will face south to the sun. There shouldn’t be any offsets in the design, because that can interfere with the sun.
You’ll want to take full advantage of the sun-facing into your kitchen and your laundry room because they are the rooms that most people use throughout the day. They are also rooms that you need a lot of light bouncing in to navigate easier. The room where your TV or computer is located doesn’t typically require a ton of natural light. A lot of light in your entertainment room can negatively impact your viewing experiences because of the glare and sun in your eyes.
In regard to how your bedroom is located, some people like to have a lot of natural light in their rooms when they wake up, and some don’t like any light in their room at all. If you want more sunlight in your room right when you awake, then you might want to design your home with your master bedroom being on a southern wall.
Windows
Windows are another thing you’ll want to add to your home if you want to increase the natural light throughout it. At the same time, you’ll want to make sure you’re installing energy-efficient windows that will keep the cold air out and the warm air in during the winter and the warm air out and the cool air in during the summer.
The addition of new windows to your home is perfect for those that are getting sick and tired of not having natural light in certain areas of their home. Take a walk around your home and see what areas aren’t receiving much natural light and then decide if you want to install a window in that area to increase the light. Locations of a home that might not get a lot of light are stairwells and basements.
Glass Doors
Glass doors are an effective way of bringing natural light into your home while still having a fully functional door to walk through. Consider installing a kitchen door that faces south if you want to bring more light to that area.
When you’re considering installing new windows or doors into your home, you’ll want to keep in mind the balance of lighting that you’re making. If you’re installing a narrow window that only brings in a direct ray of sunlight that doesn’t reflect off of anything in your home, then you might want to reconsider a different technique.
Try installing a glass door on one side and a window on the other side so that you can get natural light in two directions. Getting too much natural light from a single side can end up making glare and will create shadows that might have one part of the room looking darker in comparison to the rest.
If you want to install glass doors or windows in a certain area of your home but are worried about privacy, then consider getting reeded or etched glass instead.
Doors
The type of door you have can have an impact on the natural light in your home. French doors will allow a lot more light in than your standard door that doesn’t allow any natural light in.
Increase The Width Of Your Doorways
Another effective way to bring more natural light into your home is to increase the width of your doorways. This solution might be a little more renovation-intensive than the other ones, but it is a good way to have your home looking more aesthetically appealing, as well. You’ll have to get rid of the walls that are surrounding your windows and install a glass door to bring more light in.
Mirrors
Mirrors are a fantastic way to have light reflecting around your home. Some people like to hang mirrors in certain locations in their homes to have light bouncing to areas that are darker. If you place a mirror in a living room that directs to a stairway that receives no light, the mirror will reflect the natural light to the stairway and make things feel more comfortable and bright.
You can choose to use one big mirror or opt to get a bunch of smaller antique mirrors that will reflect the natural light from each and every direction in your home.
Colors
Certain colors reflect the light more than other colors, and as a general rule of thumb, lighter colors will always reflect more than darker colors. Some people also like to take advantage of the shadows that are created by certain colors to make certain rooms feel more cozy and warm. Dark colors work well on:
- Doors
- Walls
- Handles
- Locks
- Ceilings
- Floors
It always helps to consult with a professional when you’re considering what colors to go with for your home. Bringing in more natural light will have your mood feeling lighter, your home looking brighter, and your energy levels more stabilized.
