When people buy property, the amount of natural light which enters a room is an important reason for making their decision. If the property is to be our home, then we want as much natural light as possible. This is because it is easier to block the natural light you have than to let in the light you don't. When we work in an office, we may have even less control over how much natural light we receive. For this reason, it is helpful if we can find a way to simulate natural light indoors.
At oneHOWTO, we find out how to create natural light indoors. We provide these tips and tricks to both bring in more light and simulate natural light in a room with little window light.
House layout
If you live in a home with little natural light, you may be neglecting the distribution factor. How light streams through your home will determine how bright it is, but this doesn't simply refer to windows. Isolated spaces and wall placement can affect how light is distributed throughout the home after it comes in from an opening such as a window.
One of the best solutions is to see if you can remove any walls you don't need. This isn't something you can do on your own, but it will require planning permission and someone to access the potential structural damage. You can also see if you can 't open up rooms with glass doors or combining two rooms into one.
White walls
If you live in a space with little to no natural light, dark walls are not your friend. They will absorb what little light comes in. For this reason, you will want to brighten up your walls as much as possible and the best solution is brilliant white. Paint your walls white to gain luminosity and use bright furnishings and objects. Light colored floors and pastel textures for the drapes and other furnishings will also help make natural light go further.
Sun roofs
If your house has few windows and you don't know how to give natural light to a windowless room, using sun lights is a very interesting alternative. Natural light is reduced when you move away from a window, so it is very difficult to enter a room that does not have one. Therefore, the light obtained with the windows that are located on the roof can be used to illuminate the rooms without windows. With this reflected light you will improve the luminosity of these rooms in the home by providing a double amount of light.
Translucent curtains
Find artificial lighting in the attic of your house by decorating it with translucent curtains. Having huge windows is useless if you cover them with blackout curtains, so translucent fabrics can provide more natural light while still giving a degree of privacy. They can also be in a range of colors, so you can use the light through the drapes to give certain hues to a room.
If you have a home with little natural light, you can still decorate with plants. Use our guide on the best houseplants for low light to see what is best for you.
Light tubes
You can find more natural light by installing light tubes, also known as light pipes. These are actual conduits which are most commonly installed in attics. They create an opening in the roof of the home, then the light is carried in a reflective pipe which travels down into the living spaces. They are highly recommended if you do not have many windows, although they are not feasible in most apartments (unless you have very accommodating neighbors).
Mirrors on the walls
Another way that you will help to spread natural sunlight at home is by hanging mirrors on the walls. Mirrors trick the eyes by reflecting light. Hang them as close to the windows as possible to multiply the contribution of light and the feeling of space. You can also place them behind artificial light sources to create more light.
Interior windows
The glass allows natural light to enter dark rooms. For this reason, the placement of interior windows to give light to rooms with low luminosity. It is also a good solution to save on electricity.
Take a look at how to decorate with fairy lights to find some more artificial ways to brighten up your home.
Prevalence of windows
Dividing the areas of the house with walls will raise barriers for natural light. To tear them down, see if you can replace some or all of these walls with glass windows. Architectural elements such as balconies, terraces and bay windows, allow for a greater penetration of air and light. They can be used in almost any room in the home and provide great ways to create more light. However, we must remember that insulation is an important factor and this may not be suitable in colder climates.
White frames on windows
Interior windows need all the help them can get to spread natural light. White frames can be a good solution as they reflect light with greater depth into rooms. Therefore, remove dark frames and think about replacing them with white ones. You will notice a big difference in luminosity. You don't necessarily have to take the costly step of replacing the frames. It may be enough to simply paint them white.
Artificial light
As this article demonstrates, there are many strategies for simulating natural light in the home. However, there are simply some homes where there is not enough natural light to spread. In these cases, we need to use artificial light sources. One of the best options is LED lighting. These lights are not only the best way to bring light into the home, but they do so at a much reduced cost to the environment by saving you electricity.
Using LED lighting means more than replacing your old bulbs. It means finding new ways to brighten up certain areas in the home. These include installing ceiling lights, putting light strips on furniture and many other ways of making your light fixtures work better for you. Check out our article on how to choose the right LED to get started.
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