Does your home feel dark and uninviting? When you shut the world out with heavy, dark drapes and juxtapose unflattering hues, your mood is bound to reflect this environment.
Make your home feel more feel more inviting by bringing in natural light. You can do this in several ways, from cleaning up your windows to reflecting light around each room with design strategies.
- Clean Windows – Is your room looking a little less bright than it used to? One of the first tasks you should revisit is to clean your windows free of dirt, dust and debris. Don’t forget your blinds, curtains and curtain rods.Avoid streaks on your window by using newspaper to wipe away your glass cleaner. You can also use a mixture of vinegar and water to create a more natural glass cleaner.
- Choose Sheer Curtains – Remove heavy curtain panels and replace them with sheer curtains to let the light flow through the window. You may consider raising or removing the blinds to let in the optimal amount of light.While white or cream lace curtains add classic elegance, you don’t have to go this route, and you can select sheer curtains of any hue to let the light into your home while maintaining your existing palette.
- Use Neutrals – Make natural light the focal point of a room by relying on a neutral palette. Neutrals take you back to basics with design, and most people consider neutrals to be unsaturated color that won’t compete with other colors. Examples include white, cream, gray, beige and brown.You can dress neutrals up or dress them down — making them warmer, cooler, modern or antique and ornate. Add bright yellows or oranges to increase the warmth in the room with accent colors on drapery, pillows or rugs. Neutrals are also a restful place for the eye to settle, and they will linger longer on the natural light in the room.
- Go Dark to Light, From the Floor Up – Follow the rules of nature and use dark floors to naturally lighten things up. Divide the room up into three planes: bottom, middle and top. The floor is dark, your middle includes mid-range tones, and your “sky” or top contains lighter colors.So, your room can be colorful, but follow nature’s rules — go dark to light, from the floor up — to optimize the flow of natural light in the room.
- Mirror, Mirror: Light Up the Walls – Use mirrors to open up each room and reflect light across rooms since mirrors don’t absorb light. Place mirrors across from each other to expand a space and reflect light. Hang mirrors near sconces and under light fixtures to multiply the light sources reflected, especially if using solar lighting or bulbs more like natural light. Larger mirrors will reflect more light and open up a space more, but a collection of small mirrors on a wall can be an eclectic decor option.
- Shiny Surfaces Reflect Light – Along with placing mirrors next to sconces, you can also use similar shiny surfaces to reflect light across the house. What are some of your favorite metal types? Why not shine up an antique brass bed and place a glass vanity nearby? What about remodeling your kitchen with stainless steel appliances? Metals are a great way to reflect light in your home.Don’t forget glass tabletops and objects and varnished surfaces. They also reflect light across a room. Get decadent and hang a glass chandelier. Place whimsical glass pendants in windows to reflect rainbows across your home.
You don’t have to spend excessive amounts of money to make your home feel inviting. All you need is natural light.
There are a few things you can do to optimize the way natural light radiates and travels across your room. First, clean your windows, curtains and blinds, but also consider sheer curtains and neutrals along with a dark to light palette. Work from the floor up with nature’s hues. Use mirrors and shiny surfaces to reflect light across rooms. Let the light in, and your home will liven up with welcoming energy.
