The best light to bring into your home whenever possible is natural light. It is much healthier for you than artificial light and is more soothing. It can actually help you reduce your utility bills. However, not all homes, especially older homes, were built with this in mind.
That’s why when you are considering home renovations, you should look at those that will allow more natural light into your home and incorporate them into your overall plan. Here are 5 renovations that increase natural light.
1.Bay Windows
Many older homes were created with smaller windows essentially designed to conserve heat. However, with modern double-pane windows, even a large window can be more efficient. this means a great renovation to get more natural light into your home is to add a bay window where those small windows were before.
This works well in living areas and kitchens, as well as dining areas. The natural light makes the space seem larger and brighter.
2.Skylights
When all else fails, look up. If you have a portion of your roof that is south-facing, you can easily add a skylight for added natural light all day long. A skylight is often a simple addition, and they truly enhance any kitchen or bathroom. A larger skylight can really enhance the lighting in a living area as well.
Modern technology means that you can have automatic covers that respond to the time of day, the amount of sunlight, and even can be programmed to open and close on your schedule to keep the heat and cold out, and your climate control in your home. Smart home devices can make a skylight much more practical than ever before.
Consider a strategically placed skylight or two when you are planning renovations that will bring more natural light into your home.
3.Replacing Old Windows
Besides adding new windows and skylights, replacing old windows can do a great deal for getting more natural light into your home. Replacing a standard window in your dining area with a sliding glass door means you have a new entrance to your backyard and more natural light. Here are several a few reasons replacing old windows will let in more natural light.
- Your Old Glass May Be Blocking Light: Older glass tends to get cloudy or scratched and does not let the same amount of natural light through that they used to.
- Your Old Windows are Inefficient: Old, single pane windows often allow for drafts to get through, and the solution is to cover them with plastic or to keep window coverings closed. This not only blocks the invading temperature from outside, but also blocks light.
- Your Window Frames May be too Large: Old window frames, some of the old wooden ones especially, tend to be too large and there may even be cross-pieces across your window that block light.
Replacing old windows can be a great way to get more light into your home, especially if they are old, scratched, cloudy, and inefficient. Consider this an important part of your renovations that will also save you on utility bills.
4.Painting
There are several ways that paint can help bring more natural light into your home, and magnify the effect of the light already coming in. Here is how it works.
- Painting your eaves: Painting your roof eaves white. Even if this is a different color from the rest of the house, as it is under the eaves it will not show, but it will reflect more light into your windows and into your home.
- Use glossier colors inside. This does not mean you have to use super-glossy paint, but you can substitute a semi-gloss for a satin finish to essentially reflect more light, making your room look and feel brighter.
- Choose room colors carefully. Darker colors absorb more light, and that absorption can make your room and home seem darker. Lighter colors reflect more light and set a different mood.
When renovating, think about the impact that color choices will have on your rooms, and the ways you can bring more natural light into your home just using paint.
5.Redecorating
The art you hang on your walls, the ways you use decorations, can all either help or hinder getting more natural light into your home. For instance, plants can block light from windows, or they can make it more appealing or brighten a corner.
The use of mirrors and other reflective surfaces in a strategic way can bring more light into your home and enhance the light already coming in by reflecting it to places that would otherwise be dark.
Mirrors can be used on walls, but they can also be a part of furniture or accessories. Glass can also be very reflective and brighten a room without having to actually be a mirror. Consider the use of glass and mirrors in your redecorating to bring more natural light into your home.
When renovating your home, one of your primary goals should be to bring in more natural light. Use these five ideas as a guide to get you started.
