If your home has poor lighting conditions, we found a few ways that you can maximize natural light to brighten your living room. In fact, natural light provides your body with vitamin D, which can help you reduce stress and make your residence feel more comfortable. Below, are 10 major ways you can maximize natural light in your living room.
There are several benefits for using natural light in your home. Adding more sunlight to your home can decrease your risk of developing depression and make you feel happier and more comfortable in your home. Natural light makes you more productive. Not only can natural light reduce your feelings of fatigue, but it also helps you stay more focused, improving your overall productivity.
Natural light will reduce your utility bill. It’s no secret that turning off your electric lights for long periods of time will significantly reduce your utility bill. Doing this and relying on natural light to fill the lighting void is a great cost and energy efficient alternative to artificial lighting.
Natural light can help you sleep better. Although the more you’re exposed to artificial light, it can be harder to sleep, being exposed to natural light can actually make it easier to fall asleep. This is because when you’re in naturally lit environments, you get naturally sleepy from developing a positive circadian rhythm.
Replace Your Windows
Just because you have windows in your home, don’t assume that it’s letting 100 percent of light to shine through. Your window glass can easily become fogged and warped, which prevents all the light from coming through and into your home.
Clean Your Windows
Just like the windows in your car, windows in your home can easily collect dust, dirt, and other debris that can block out natural light. We suggest regularly cleaning your windows every week using a strong glass cleaner. This way, you can ensure all natural light can pass through your windows and enter your home.
Ditch Heavy Curtains
If you have heavy curtains in your home, they could be blocking natural light, so you may want to switch them out for lighter, thinner curtains. This way, you can improve the natural light flow into your home.
Consider Direction and Time of Day
You don’t need to throw out your window treatments completely. Instead, leave them open at the right time of day. For example, if your windows face east or west, you may have too much light in the mornings and evenings and almost none the rest of the day. In this case, use your window treatments to block the blinding light and leave them open the rest of the day.
Don't be afraid to open your heavy window treatments during the day to bring in natural light. Click To TweetChoose Optimal Colors
When picking out curtains and window treatments, choose soft colors or white. Additionally, floor-length curtains placed next to windows can make any living room appear larger.
Rearrange Your Furniture
Move any piece of furniture that is placed in front of a window. Even furniture next to windows can block the light, so ensure nothing is blocking any of the sun’s helpful rays.
Pick Lighter Decor and Paint
Dark colors in your living room will just absorb the sunlight. Opt for lighter colors on your walls and in your decorating. This will allow the sunlight to reflect and spread throughout the room.
Paint Ceilings Lighter Than Your Walls
Choose flat white if your walls are white. If your walls are a dark color, choose a lighter one for the ceiling, though not white.
Install French Doors
If your living room does not have a lot of windows but the room next door does, consider installing French doors between the rooms. French doors are made of glass so they allow light to flow from one room to the next.
Decorate With Mirrors
A strategically placed mirror can cause your living room to look larger and brighter. Place a mirror on the wall opposite a window to cause the light to bounce around the room and double your sunlight.
Letting more natural light into your living room is easy. With these ten simple changes, you can have a lighter and brighter home in no time at all.
I hope you found tips useful. I would love to hear your suggestions on additional ways you maximize natural light in your home. Please leave any questions or comments below.
As always, if you need help getting your home and life organized, register for my free “5 Days to an Organized Home & Life” email course. Each day you will receive strategies for keeping your home & life organized and having a “company ready” home at all time. You can register for the free course at www.decoratorsvoice.com/free5daycourse.
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These are really great tips! I’m saving this for when I re-do my living room soon.
You’re very welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
These are really good tips, especially the ones about the thin curtains and placing mirrors. For me, having a space to work with lots of natural light is a must, since it really does make me more productive, and I just don’t like dark, closed-off rooms. Thanks for the post.
Yes it does make a big difference. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I am looking to change my windows this year and somebody said that read some blog posts to find out which window company is best and after reading your post I am sure now that upvc windows are the best choice, thanks for sharing this awesome post.