It's no surprise that ‘good natural light levels’ makes the shortlist of key features new homebuyers seek. Exposure to natural light lifts your interior’s atmosphere, improves our mental health and (importantly in the current climate) decreases our energy bills.

But not all interiors are blessed with large windows and a constant stream of bright light. Here’s our top tips and tricks to help increase the lighting levels in your home…

Mirror, Mirror

A well-placed mirror is the most effective way to boost natural light throughout your home. When placed adjacent to a window, the mirror will perfectly catch the angle of light, bouncing the ray of sunlight through your space. Our top tip for selecting the right mirror for your wall is to choose the biggest size mirror, with the smallest frame, this will maximise how much sunshine is reflected into your home.

If your space doesn’t allow for a wall mounted mirror, tabletop mirrors are a great way to cleverly guide the beams of light to gloomy corners. For windowless spaces, such as hallways, placing a mirror across from any light source will also have a similar effect and give the space a sense of extra square footage.

Maximise with metallics

This is similar to the mirroring effect; in that it will bounce natural light around your room. However, just make sure not to overdo it, try and find a good balance of polished and matt surfaces to create a balanced effect and a mix of textures.

Intuitive lighting

Thoughtfully placed lighting can help guide the natural light through a space, enhancing it with a warm glow. The right lighting doesn’t mean just opting for ceiling pendants, why not explore floor, wall, or table lights that can make clever alternatives to improve the light in your space.

Add intuitive designs to dark corners to boost the overall ambience of your interior. Adding unique lighting that projects layers of light and shadow will add depth and texture to the light already in your home, giving your rooms extra personality.

Colour palette

Consider how much of an effect the colour palette will have on your space. Neutrals will reflect any natural light to create a brighter overall look – perfect if you want to create a crisp, airy environment. Even if natural light is minimal, using lighter colours on your wall gives the illusion of a lighter home, making it a great option for any small nooks or compact spaces.

declutter

Clearing the clutter from any environment will inevitably create the overall feeling of openness. Clever storage solutions offer a helping hand to keeping things organised and allowing the sun to shine in uninterrupted. Whilst it is easy to want to fill your windowsill with a plethora of greenery, you must be wary of how much sunlight your indoor jungle may block. Consider spreading the greenery throughout your space, which not only makes your space look cohesive, but allows you to home a range of houseplants that enjoy different light levels.

Large rooms are often naturally lighter and small rooms naturally darker, so controlling how busy the room is with furnishings and home accessories is essential for making it look bright and inviting. Squeezing a lot of furniture into one space can make it feel more restricted and will limit the way light can move through the room. Keep dim rooms such as narrow hallways as open and minimal to set the tone for a calming home.

Wash your windows

One that sounds silly, but not to be underestimated as it is proven to make a dramatic difference to light levels and lets the sun permeate the space. As dirt builds up on a window, it’s easy to forget how much natural light accumulated grime blocks out and what a difference sparkling glazing makes. Adding this to your monthly routine will keep the sunshine beaming into your home.

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Posted: 05.05.22
Updated: 03.04.24