arch

How to Bring More Light Into a Home 

How can you make your house brighter?; our ten excellent tips are listed here. A room flooded with natural light awakens our senses with crisp awareness of the outdoors while sunbeams and shadows ignite a room. Even if you haven’t consciously stood in the centre of your room wishing it was brighter, you’ve realized the benefits of light while standing in a sun-bathed space.

 

Only some of us have the advantage of large windows. 

Even a mid-sized window lets in enough light to brighten a room and our mood. As I write this, a late morning sun filters through a window, lighting up the far wall of my office with its pleasing play of light and shadow in the room. 

See Forest City Window & Door Ltd’s selection of beautiful windows here and call them at (519) 659 6906 for more information.

 

The best time to increase beautiful sunlight is in the design stage of a renovation.

If you can, increase the size of one or two significant window openings. A local window contractor may be able to do the construction work or will alternatively work with your construction contractor, depending on the materials of the home’s exterior. 

Our sister company, Forest City Roofing, is perfect for installing skylights, sun tunnels, and roof windows. (These links will take you to our roofing website.) If you are considering changing your roof, consider including the introduction of skylights.

 

 

From interior design tips to the Return on Your Investment (ROI) of skylights, here are 10 tips to get you more light in your room.

There are many ways to brighten a room and heighten the effects of the available natural light:

 

 

1. Wash your windows inside and out.

You will immediately notice how much more light enters your room. The dirt on the exterior and interior glass is a film that the sun’s rays must penetrate.

There are so many reasons to clean your windows at least once a year, including the emotional impact of clean surfaces on one’s psyche. Today’s windows allow for easy cleaning from the inside.

 

2. Lighten the flooring and walls.

The interior design trend toward light floors and light walls is no accident. Although a variety of colour is crucial to good design if you are explicitly trying to make a room brighter, stick to an overall light feel and interject bright colours in a balanced way. 

Choose a light-coloured wood or laminate flooring, and paint the walls a light colour to expand the feel of the room and increase reflectivity. 

 

3. Keep your window coverings white and light. 

Keep your window coverings/blinds white and light, even if you use a blackout lining. Instead, introduce bright colours into your drapery side panels. 

 

4. Make use of mirrors.

The use of mirrors is highly underrated. Place a floor-standing or wall-hanging mirror where the sunlight reflects into it, and significantly increase the brightness factor of the room. Choose sliding-mirrored-doors opposite a window to reflect the light.

 

5. Choose a full-frame-out window installation. 

When undertaking the window replacement on your house, choose a full-frame-out installation that increases glass size, bringing more light into your home. 

This installation method is more expensive, but when you consider the process is like starting new, with the ability to provide new brick mould, a more finished exterior look, and a much larger expanse of glass, you may be convinced to go this route. 

Read our article, Are There Different Kinds of Window Installations in Canada – Is One Better Than The Other?

 

6. Replace heavy drapery. 

Sheer or unlined drapery side panels have a more contemporary feel, especially with today’s trend of mixing drapery with blinds. (It also is less expensive than lining a drape.)

 

 

7. Change a front slab door to one with a decorative glass package.

The first impression of your home starts at your front door. Often, clients are concerned about privacy when deciding between a glass package or a solid slab; however, nowadays, door manufacturers keep privacy concerns in mind with various levels of privacy in their glass packages. 

Expand your entryway opening to include matching sidelights. Your entryway will thank you.

Read our article, How to Choose a Front Door.

 

8. Use high-gloss paint or lacquer finish on a wall or ceiling.

In the same way that an epoxy finish on a contemporary artwork bounce light, a high gloss paint application on a wall or ceiling will also apply. Even a dark or moody ceiling becomes reflective and vibrant. A high gloss finish also makes the ceiling feel taller.

 

9. Change your light bulbs to LEDs.

A higher-lumen light bulb will brighten a room, especially at night. But beware of the blue-ish range of LEDs; these are mostly cold-feeling and not in the least pleasant.

 

10. Add a skylight or sun tunnel.

If you’ve never experienced a room with a skylight, run, don’t walk to one that does. The effects of the open sky, high sun, moody rain, soft snow, enchanting moonlight and stars are unrivalled in any interior space. 

Skylights offer incredible options that stop sudden rainfall from entering, even when you’re not home. The highest cost behind skylights isn’t in the product but in construction costs. Forest City Window & Door’s sister company Forest City Roofing is the perfect company to install skylights. You might also choose a sun tunnel to bring natural light into a dark hallway or room.

If you consider the Return on Investment (ROI), skylights are fantastic investments and will be the prominent and unique element in a home buyer’s mind.

 

Call Forest City Window & Door Ltd. anytime with questions about windows and doors.