INCREASING NATURAL LIGHT

MAKE YOUR HOME A BRIGHTER AND MORE WELCOMING PLACE WITH THESE EXPERT TIPS ON FLOODING YOUR HOME WITH SUNLIGHT

- HOLLY REANEY

There’s no better feeling than the sun on your face; it can’t help but brighten your day. In our homes, having lots of natural light filtering through the space can make rooms seem larger, the colours and patterns of our décor more vibrant, and the atmosphere more welcoming – but that’s not all. It’s been scientifically proven that natural light helps to boost levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin and, as a result, brings a sense of calmness and peace. It’s no surprise, then, that increasing the amount of natural light in a property is top of the wishlist for so many homeowners.

‘Increasing natural light is a really simple way of setting tone in a space and changing the mood,’ says Marketa Rypacek, managing director at Industville. From installing more windows to painting in white or adding mirrors, increasing the amount of natural light in a room creates a sense of ambience that you can’t artificially replicate; even the best dimmer switch can’t beat the setting of the sun to take your room from day to night, while there is no painting that will be able to improve upon the ever-changing feature wall that a window provides.

WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER?

Firstly, can you increase the light levels without renovations? Try lower-cost solutions before embarking on a major project. Start by assessing the furniture in the room in question. Is it too large for the space, does it make the room feel smaller and, as a result, darker? If so, it might be worth opting for more minimalist options that are lighter in colour. Rearrange your remaining, light-coloured furniture so that it’s angled towards the window; this will help it to reflect more light into the room.