Having plenty of natural light in your home can make your home more inviting for guests and more pleasant for you when you are spending time inside. Even during the winter months, when the days are longer and moods are lower, letting in more natural light can lift your spirits and make the season seem brighter in general. Having plenty of natural light can also make your home – or even your garden shed or backyard cottage – seem bigger.
Fortunately, you don’t need to invest in major renovations to get the natural light you crave. Making some simple adjustments to your home or changing the décor can help you get more of the natural light that will put your home in its best light.
New Windows
The easiest and most efficient way to get more natural light into your home is to invest in new, larger windows. Depending on how small your windows are now, making the change will not require much change. The contractor would just need to enlarge the hole and reinforce the frame. The new windows pop right into place.
You also don’t need to worry that getting larger windows will cause your energy bills to spike. Even in the coldest places in the country, your energy prices can actually be reduced. The kinds of quality window replacements Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and even Buffalo residents have access to help them save money through double panes, the right frames, and quality construction. The same goes for homeowners who live in places with very hot climates, like in Florida or Texas.
New Doors
Your doors don’t have to be solid slabs of wood or steel. In fact, your entire door can be made of glass except for the frame and the knob, and you can let in plenty more natural light in the process. But even if you don’t want to go as far as a whole door of glass, just getting a door with a large window in it can let in a significant amount of light.
Your first concern might be of security. Is it really safe to have a glass door or even a door with a large, glass window in it? Won’t that glass shatter if a storm rolls through or if someone hits it or kicks it while trying to break into the house? Again, it depends on what type of glass you get. You can get a glass door that is more secure than some wooden doors. You need to take into consideration the construction of the door, the quality of all the materials, and the security measures included.
Skylights
Your roof is like a dark blanket over your home. Without it, you would have all the natural light you want. Of course, you can’t live in a home without a roof. But you can still let in that light you want by installing some skylights.
Don’t stop at just a skylight in the living room! You can put a skylight in every room of your home – provided there are no conflicts with vents or other elements. You can make the skylight as small or large as you like (again, provided your home’s structure allows). In addition to the natural light during the day, you can even enjoy looking up at the stars at night from your bed.
Reflective Surfaces
Reflecting the light is another way to create more light. The easiest way to add reflective surfaces to your home is to add more mirrors. Put a large mirror over your mantle, one at the end of your hallway, and one in every room. You can even create a gallery wall with different sizes and styles of mirrors for the effect and the aesthetic appeal.
Another way to create more reflective light is to paint your home in lighter colors. Dark colors absorb the light, but lighter colors reflect it. Just painting your wall in shades of white, yellow, light grey, and even tan will brighten up your whole home.
Getting more light into your home doesn’t have to be difficult. By making these changes, you can make your home appear larger, more luxurious, and more inviting. You’ll love spending time in your home, and you’ll love entertaining guests.
