People these days tend to give a lot of thought to the best sort of lights to install in their homes. And why wouldn’t they? Nobody likes sitting in the dark (well, not all the time) and there’s plenty of lighting options to choose from.
But this reliance on electrical lighting tends to distract people from considering natural light, and that’s a shame! Natural light is cheaper, better for the environment, and more...well, natural! We know it’s not always practical to have total sunlight in your house, but we’ve found these ways to maximize the amount of natural light coming into your home without a ton of effort or major remodeling!
Careful Placement of Decorations While this one is easy to overdo (and you don’t want to shine light right in people’s eyes, do you?), the tasteful and strategic placement of mirrors and shined metal decorations can do a lot to increase the amount of light reflected through a room. Place a mirror directly opposite your most south-facing window and keep a lot of polished brass, gold, and silver decorations around the window to increase the sunlight being bounced around. You’d be surprised what a difference it can make!
More - and Newer - Windows Now, we’re not saying your entire house needs to be covered in windows, but newer windows make a big difference. New windows without years of dirt and scratches will let more light in, and the energy efficient design of many modern vinyl replacement windows will trap more natural heat from the sun, helping to reduce your energy bills. If you can get a door with windows on it (especially ones with a thinner-mesh screen), that will help bring the light in too! Speaking of windows…
Thinner Window Treatments If you don’t want to replace your windows, you might want to consider at least replacing your curtains. Home, budget, and security preferences will all come into play here, but if you want a cheap way to increase the natural light in any given room you should consider thinner curtains or shades. Lighter fabrics will let more light in, even if the curtains are still drawn. If privacy is still a concern, you could consider shutters instead.
Keep Your House Clean and Shiny This ties in with the first two tips, but it’s worth re-iterating. Even if you can’t install new windows, even if you can’t get new mirrors into your rooms, just try to keep everything clean, polished, and shining. Something as simple as a bright white countertop will reflect enough sun to make a difference so long as you give it a good wash.
These are just a few of our tips, and we hope they help brighten your day - literally! And if you’d like some more information about vinyl replacement windows, contact Wallside Windows today!
