Creating more natural light through window replacement or other methods is all the rage among homebuyers, ranking as one of the most important features of a home according to a survey conducted by Porch. In fact, it was considered even more vital than having a newly renovated bathroom or bedroom.
Canadian windows and doors manufacturing and installation company Ecoline Windows is in full agreement with those consumers, extolling some of the many virtues of natural light such as its mood-boosting properties, its positive impact on a home’s energy efficiency, and even its ability to improve residents’ health.
Ecoline Windows, which manufactures a wide range of energy efficient windows, doors, and patio doors tailored for the harsh Canadian environment, adds that it doesn’t take a full-blown windows replacement or knock a new hole in the wall or ceiling to boost the availability of natural light.
Rather, there are several clever techniques that can be used to bolster and accentuate the natural lighting that’s already present, a few of which are detailed below.
Lighten a Room’s Color Palette
Wallpaper and darker paint tones have the effect of absorbing much of the natural light that shines in their direction. Lightening the walls and ceiling of a room can greatly improve how well the natural light is reflected and perceived. Just avoid going for an overly bright tone of white, which can make a space feel cold and sterile.
It’s not just a room’s walls and other fixtures that impact the diffusion of natural light, but its flooring as well. Wood, stone, or ceramic floors with a polished, reflective surface are an ideal complement to natural light. Carpeting or rugs are not nearly as effective, but lighter colors are again preferable.
Have Lots of Shiny, Reflective Surfaces
Just a small amount of natural light can be greatly magnified through the adept placement of shiny and reflective objects and surfaces like mirrors or mirrored surfaces, picture frames, and other metallic or glass items. In smaller or more cluttered spaces where light is at a premium, like bathrooms and kitchens, adding metallic light fixtures, faucets, or even metallic finishes on the ceilings can help
maximize the available light.
Trim Those Sun-Blocking Branches
Some of the sunlight that could otherwise be lighting up your home may instead be getting unceremoniously blocked by trees, hedges, or other obstructions. All it takes is a few well-placed leaves to block off a chunk of sunlight and dramatically darken a room, so you’ll want to continuously monitor and trim any obtrusive branches, vines, or other foliage.
Likewise, even small, seemingly minor additions to your window sills, like some herbs growing in your kitchen windows, could block quite a bit of sunlight, so you’ll need to balance the pros and cons of your window accents and decorations.
Swap Out Your Solid Doors
Much of the natural light that finds its way into our homes does so through their windows, but that shouldn’t discount the big role that glass or garden doors can play in brightening a room when being used to replace solid doors. Sliding glass doors or French doors can essentially convert any space into a veritable sunroom, while obscure glass options like frosted and tinted windows can improve the security of entry doors while still allowing more natural light in than solid doors.
Install Larger Windows
If all else fails, the surest way to boost the amount of natural light circulating throughout your home is to let even more of it in by installing larger windows. Ecoline Windows, which offers triple-pane windows for all of its models, reveals that transom windows are a particularly popular option right now, allowing more light into homes without impacting privacy.
The Canadian windows company notes that newer kitchen windows should also feature more exposed glass in general thanks to advances in manufacturing capabilities that cut down on windows’ framework, letting in that much more sunlight without the need for major renovations.
