Not nearly enough is spent discussing the importance of light. Natural light affects people’s health; artificial light can make people feel more awake. There are a lot of different ways that light is important to the human body, and as such, it is important that your home be able to be filled with light. Light is a critical factor in mood, has been said to impact productivity and improves the sense of warmth and comfort of a home. So, be mindful of the following ways you can improve the light within your home.
Stop Blocking the Light
Window treatments are a typical aspect of all homes, but there are many that are intentionally meant to keep light out of the home. If you have these types of window treatments, natural light is not able to flow into your home. Even blinds allow a certain level of light to filter in, whereas thick, light-blocking curtains filter it out completely. There are times when circumstances–think as watching a movie–or privacy or even sleep schedule demand that these types of curtains be used. But for the typical homeowner, there is little need for such curtains to be employed. Using sheer curtains allows for natural light to enter a home. Better still, opening even sheer curtains allows even more light into a home. If you have important reasons for using light-blocking curtains in your home, try to open them every chance you can so that you and your home can reap the benefits.
Create More Ways to Let the Light In
If you are building, remodeling, or simply making a few changes and are trying to find ways to improve the light in your home, be sure to consider your doors. Using doors with glass panels is a great way to allow light to flow through the home. Glass door panels can be used on exterior doors and interior doors. However, if privacy is a concern, frosted glass doors can give you the privacy you desire while not completely blocking out all of the light. There are so many styles and design options for glass panels that you could really improve the light and style of your home all at the same time.
In addition to considering your doors when remodeling or renovating, you may also see if there are opportunities to add windows to your home. Sometimes when cabinets are moved or rooms rearranged and previously blocked exterior wall becomes open and windows or sliding doors become an option. It is a worthwhile question to ask your contractor so you can improve the lighting in your home.
Artificial Light Can Be Your Friend
Perhaps you plan to change your curtains to sheers and keep them open more often, but your home is still rather dark and you are not planning to remodel. Not to fear. You can use artificial light to help brighten up any space. Although natural light is preferable to artificial light, there are still benefits to be had from artificial light. If you are able, add additional overhead lighting to your home. This will significantly improve the brightness of a space. Lamps are also a great way to improve the light within a space if having new lighting installed is not feasible. And if neither of those options is practical for you, determine the highest watt light bulb your current light fixtures can have and change your light bulbs. You should even consider the color of the bulbs you are using to replace your old bulbs. There are light bulbs that are meant to mimic the natural brightness of the sun and make a space feel as if it is filled with more natural light.
Light is critical to all living things. Although people sometimes crave creating a darker mood in a room, this darker setting should not be the default position. Your body and your mood need light in order to thrive, so it is important that you find ways to increase the amount of light that comes into your home. If you do, it will brighten your day.
