When natural light has the freedom to flow through your home, it not only gives new life to the neglected nooks, corners and crannies throughout your interior space, it provides an all-new window into your home's hidden potential.
Adding a little daylight can go a long way toward brightening dark rooms, revitalizing your home's interior and even recharging your mood. Here are a few ideas for unleashing the power of natural light in your home:
Tour your home
Where is your home's natural light coming from? Which areas or rooms could use a bit more? A room-to-room assessment can provide a better sense of your home's natural light sources — windows, glass doors and skylights — as well as those spots that could use a sun-powered boost.
As you walk your home, be sure to see if any large pieces of furniture, plants or artwork block outside light from making the maximum impact. You might be surprised how quickly a little rearranging can transform a dusty, under-lit space into a delightful, design-beckoning backdrop.
Assess your window treatments
Dark shades and heavy curtains create havoc for spaces in desperate need of daylight. Consider replacing these treatments with lighter, breezier colors and materials that better disperse natural light across dark rooms. A new window dressing may be all you need to capture more of the sun's cleansing rays and make that dark bathroom, bedroom or kitchen into a brighter, more inviting space.
Pull out the paintbrush
A new coat of paint can perk up rooms that are thirsting for sunlight. Painting dark walls with reflective, light-friendly colors gives daylight more room to roam. Neutral colors like white, tan and gray have great design potential and tend to work best for improving a room's natural light.
Get glassy
Replacing solid-wood entry and passageway doors with glass doors can be a great way to move more natural light through your home. For those areas that could really benefit from a bigger splash of sunlight — stairwells, entryways and hallways — a glass door could turn a shadowy staircase or lackluster landing into a warm and welcoming space.
For areas where security and privacy are paramount, frosted or tinted glass doors allow light to penetrate without inviting unwanted attention.
Look up
Skylights provide direct, daylong access to natural light in ways few other methods can, enhancing atmosphere, adding character and creating the interior space your family will flock to.
Skylights are available in three main types — fixed, ventilating and tubular — and can range in cost from $900 and $2,300 installed. A local skylight pro can help you determine the type and size that best suits your home.
