5 Ways to Increase Natural Light in Your Home

One of the seven elements of interior design is light, with natural light being Mother Nature’s generous contribution to our homes. Entire rooms can be optimized for harnessing the sun’s rays, making the area feel spacious, bright, and refreshing. Use these five ideas for capitalizing on natural light to take your space from feeling cramped and dim to airy and energized.

1. Light Colors

Light-colored objects appear bright because they are quite literally reflecting most light wavelengths. A design color scheme that mainly features shades of white, soft grey, taupe, or pastels will bounce back their brilliance and fill the space with a radiance that dark colors tend to withhold. Surround yourself with birch wood furniture, cream-colored rugs, white walls and ceilings, or pastel throw pillows to complement the sunshine.

2. Minimize Window Coverings

Scandinavian designers have taught us a thing or two about how to best take advantage of the sun, and doing away with window treatments is one of their hallmark techniques. Leaving windows bare allows as much sunlight as possible to pour into our homes, clear and unobstructed. Uninstall your blinds and get rid of the curtains for the full effect. If you still want the option for privacy, consider soft-colored and lightweight drapes that are pushed aside until needed, or simply pull your blinds all the way up when it's the sun’s time to shine.

3. Make a Window Your Focal Point

Give natural light center stage by thoughtfully arranging your furniture toward windows without crowding them. Orient couches in the sitting room to face the windows so you can bask in the organic glow, or place armchairs near them that invite you to sit closer to the light source. Point the foot of your bed toward a window so you can rise with the sun, or shift the weight of the room against the window by positioning the head of the bed right below it.

4. Shiny Things

Light can't help but glint off reflective objects to make a space shimmer and shine. Mirrors, glass vases, chrome fixtures, glossy wall paint, or acrylic dining chairs all maximize natural light by encouraging it to bounce around the room. For an enchanting approach, hang a crystal suncatcher near the window and marvel as it scatters the light into little rainbows that make each day a bit more dazzling.

5. Keep Clean

You may notice that layers of dust or window smudges are particularly noticeable when sunlight hits them at just the right angle. To ensure the sun remains our helpful ally, stick to a regular cleaning schedule that maintains your space’s shine. Cleaning windows inside and out lets light stream through unimpeded, and keeping your interior surfaces dusted and polished preserves their helpful, reflective luster.

Whether you’re encouraging a precious sliver of sunlight that’s peeking through a small basement apartment window or glorifying the glow from a countryside villa, making the most of natural light is sure to liven up your space. Brighten our day by tagging Walker Edison on social media to show us how you are harnessing the sun’s rays.