There’s quite a bit of research around the power of light. A healthy dose of natural light can help increase vitamins B and D in your body. It’s been known to improve circulation, boost your immune system, and even increase your endorphins to help you feel better from day-to-day. Getting enough light during the day may even help you sleep better at night. Sound too good to be true? It’s not, but the tough part is making sure you get the natural light you need, and often that means letting the light into your house. Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure your home is as light and airy as possible. Color choices and light window treatments are a great way to let in more natural light.
Start with the Colors
One of the first places you’ll want to start is with your color scheme. Wherever you can, go with lightly colored furniture and accents. White bookcases, a cream-colored couch, even a white table can help brighten your space a bit. Have a dark wood floor? Update it with white rugs. You’ll want to extend this new color scheme to your walls as well. Sure, there are millions of paint colors to choose from, and the lighter ones may seem a bit boring, but nothing will do the trick of lightening your home quite like a fresh coat of paint.
Think About Your Windows
If you’re going to let the light in, you need to think about how much natural light can come into any given space. Your windows are key to that equation. Begin with a bit of rearranging. Create a new room layout that helps to focus on your windows. You’re going to get lots of natural light from that space, so you’ll want to keep the area around it as open and airy as possible. You’ll want to head outside to take a closer look at your windows too. If you have trees or bushes blocking the flow of natural light, trim them back as much as possible. If the light can’t get in, it’s not going to help brighten your room. While you’re outside, clean the window. You’ll want to do the same thing inside.
Finally, think about the window treatments you already have installed. Heavy drapes aren’t going to help make your room any lighter. Instead, go with light window treatments. There are lots of great window treatment options on the market today that allow you to protect your privacy while still ensuring light flows throughout the home. Sheers are a natural choice, but there are so many other options that you’ll certainly want to sit down with a window treatment expert to consider custom window treatments and make a decision that’s right for every single room in your house.
Add Some Accents
What you hang on your walls really does matter if you’re trying to give your home a lighter feel. You’ll want to eliminate many other choices here in favor of mirrors. Adding mirrors to your décor allows the natural light coming from the windows to bounce off and spread around the room. Consider hanging those mirrors across from the largest windows. You can even hang several smaller mirrors to create the same effect.
Think Light Fixtures
Your lamps may be giving off a yellow tint that just isn’t working for your space. You can change that with your bulb choice. Bright white LED bulbs will help to ensure the brightness shines through your house. If you don’t have enough lighting, you may want to consider adding a few more lamps and light fixtures to help brighten things up even when the sun isn’t shining.
Light, particularly natural light, can do amazing things for your space. Let the light shine through your home with simple changes like these.