Have you ever walked into a naturally lit room and noticed the shift it has on your mood? That isn’t coincidental. A 2021 study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that lighting helps your visual performance and safety. Not to mention, natural light can also improve your mental health, sleep, and overall quality of life.
Natural light can make you feel alive, grounded, and alert, hence it being something many people want to create in their homes, especially in the spring. Unfortunately, not every home is built with natural light in mind, so you may have to DIY it. If you’re ready to improve the lighting in your home in creative ways, try some of the below tips.
Use Lighter Paint Colors
Lighter colors are reflective, meaning they reflect light. Darker colors on the other hand, absorb colors, which is why the room may end up looking dim if you use a charcoal gray or black. If you have dark colors on your walls, try going for brighter shades. For instance, white is reflective and can brighten up your home as well as make it feel more spacious. Beige and mushroom gray are ideal colors as well.
Install Glass or Ceramic Tiles
Since you do things like cooking and eating in the kitchen, having good lighting in there is key. Installing glass or ceramic tiles in the kitchen backsplash can brighten things up. Glass tiles are also reflective and when positioned correctly, can reflect almost 100 percent of light that comes its way. If you’re not feeling the glass tiles, glossy ceramic ones work too. For those who have poorly lit bathrooms, you can rinse and repeat this process there.
Add Higher Gloss Paint to Your Walls
Matte sheen on walls can give a clean finish, but they aren’t the best option if you want a brighter space. Instead, swap the matte for high-gloss paint as more light will bounce off the surface that way. Beware: If you have artificial light in that space, you may notice more of a glare.
Get Skylights
Windows are a great source of light for your home, and they get the job done by transmitting light. Skylights can do what windows do, but the difference is they transmit light from above. Skylights can be a helpful solution if your house has lots of ceiling space but not enough wall space. That said, if you are considering skylights, understand some cons are that they’re not the easiest to install and they can attract some heat along with light.
Add Reflective Items to Rooms
When the sun reflects off of certain objects, it can lighten up the room. For instance, if you don’t have one already, get a chandelier and you may notice more of a natural sparkle in your room during the day. Likewise, mirrors, glossy cabinet pulls, and even white bed sheets can have the same effect.