Using Natural Light in Your House

Most buyers consider things like size and appearance when looking for a home to buy. Are you aware that natural light can be a big factor in the desirability of your home?

The importance and purpose of natural light in a home should not be underestimated. Here are some reasons why you should consider your home has good natural light.

Good for your health 

One of the advantages of natural light, believe it or not, is that it improves sleep. It also makes you less dependent on fluorescent light.

Luckily those nasty fluorescent bulbs are quickly being replaced by a multitude of LED options. Those fluorescent bulbs have been know to cause sleep disturbances and elevated stress responses in some cases.

Although LEDs are great, natural light is ideal, especially those people diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder. Yeah, it's actually a thing!

Illuminate the home

If you have windows that tend to block natural light with larger frames, grids or designs, consider replacing them with non-gridded panes to brighten things up and give them a cleaner look.

Also, consider getting rid of heavy, dark drapes and replace them with sheer white curtains like in the photo.

If you need more privacy, consider getting those top-down, bottom-up white sheer accordion cell blinds. These are awesome!

They're great to pull down so you can see out, but the bottom is covered so you can parade around in your...pajamas and not worry about anyone looking in!

Some other half-window treatments you can entertain are interior shutters or even café curtains; like the one's you see in kitchens sometimes.

It's also a good idea to keep your traditional blinds open while the sun is out and simply shut them during the evening when the sun is no longer shining. 

Creative Reflection

An excellent way to expand the reach of the sun is by carefully placing mirrors in strategic areas to provide reflections to your darker living spaces.

For instance, you can use a mirror to reflect the light into dark hallway as well as darker corners of a room. This may not be an option, but it's worth playing around with to see what you can do.

Another way to brighten up your spaces is by using lighter color paint. Go for matte finishes and neutral colors for better illumination.

Lighter shades of furniture as well as rugs and flooring will help boost your home's natural light.

Potential Downsides 

If you're looking for a new house, make sure to check out the orientation of the house.

Visit the interior at different times of the day so you can see how the sun's natural path will reach the interior of the home. The quantity of light you need ultimately depends on you.