A bright, airy family home is a joy to live in, and you can be sure that the feeling of space and light improves everyone’s sense of wellbeing. Natural daylight makes living areas more inviting – they appear less crowded and therefore more spacious. Here are a few things you can do to brighten up your family home and invite the sunshine in.
Solutions for every room
If you think about how sunlight moves through the windows of each room in your home, it will be easier to make decisions about décor and furniture positioning in order to maximize the amount of light in each case. For example, south facing windows benefit from maximum daylight, so when decorating, for example consider whether cream is a better option than white, as the reflected light on white walls in these rooms could be a bit overpowering.
When working, artists favor north-facing windows because of the quality of light they bring in. However, when you’re living in a room with north facing windows, the effect can sometimes be dull and even cold. Use warmer colors when decorating and furnishing these rooms. Windows that face east and west let in the most light during mornings and evenings, respectively.
Improve your home’s ambiance
Structural changes such as knocking down walls and enlarging windows to let in more light are all very well and can be successful to an extent. However, they can also be prohibitively expensive. You can achieve a good effect by using minimal window treatments and choosing internal doors that have glazing rather than the solid alternatives.
Also, when it comes to making the most of your windows, lose the drapes and blinds and opt instead for shutters. These will allow you to control precisely the amount of daylight that enters your home; shutters have clean, architectural lines and will make your window openings look bigger. Even better, nowadays you can get super cheap plantation shutters in a wide variety of colors and styles, and they work with any kind of décor, whether traditional or contemporary.
Decorating
Paler colors on walls have the effect of making rooms look bigger, with the added bonus that they will reflect light better than darker colors. The same is true of highly polished floors. If your home has larger rooms, it’s possible to get away with larger pieces of furniture. However, if the spaces are more modest, then avoid dark flooring, as it will make rooms appear to be overcrowded. Keep to paler colors also in terms of upholstery on couches and armchairs, and position mirrors strategically throughout your home so they can reflect natural light.
Artificial lighting
As lighting technology has evolved and developed, there are now a number of ways to enhance fading daylight during the early evening. Opt for eco-friendly varieties such as LED and compact fluorescent lighting fixtures, and choose light bulbs that mimic the white light of daylight for freestanding floor and table lamps. In the evenings, opt for multiple light sources, which will help make any dark areas in your home disappear.
With the right touches, you can make your home an airy and bright living space that feels more open, welcoming, and comfortable for everyone.
