7 Ways to Add Natural Lighting to Your Home

Natural light has changed how I perceive my living space. The room is flooded with a rich multi-color spectrum glow that artificial light struggles to match, and more essentially it significantly improves my mood by elevating the body’s feel-good serotonin levels.

And yes, you don’t have to pay for it on top of your monthly power bills.

However, not all homes are designed with natural lights in mind and mine was no exception.

Faced with this challenge, I realized that even without changing the position of my house or rotating it to face the sun as a last resort, there were still some significant home remodeling projects that could improve natural lighting.

Get the Home’s Eaves Painted White

I came across an idea about enhancing natural light inside our houses that seemed pretty straightforward but effective: paint the home’s eaves white.

The overhangs that are formed by the roof are called eaves or soffits and play a larger role than one might think in bouncing sunlight into rooms.

Initially, though, I had mixed feelings since they would differ from my house color scheme externally.

However, I learned that their design—sloping towards the building—means their color does not influence curb appeal as much as anticipated.

Based on this fact alone I went ahead and painted them white taking into consideration possible changes in lighting rather than minding what people would say about the new look outside walls.

Why White Eaves?

Increased Light Reflection: White reflects light well; therefore painting eaves white increases natural lighting inside a home.

Visual Consistency from Inside: Though subtle from the outside, internally it creates noticeable brightness resulting in rooms that appear bigger and friendlier.

Maintaining Aesthetic Integrity: Since residents view most of their eaves from indoors rather than outside (streets), repainting them white doesn’t interfere with the overall external appearance of a dwelling place.

Choose Lighter Shade Wall and Ceiling Paints

When one decides to brighten up their living room, the use of lighter and brighter colored paints on walls and ceilings can offer the best solution.

Personally, I have found that painting my walls white or a light color not only feels invigorating but also enhances the extent of natural light coming through the window.

You see, it’s all about the color shade of paint that you decide to apply within your house in relation to how much you would like reflected back into space by that same light. Like magic!

There is this thing called Light Reflectance Value (LRV), which in simple terms measures the amount of light a particular shade reflects.

Pure white has got highest LRV thus becoming an incomparable choice when one desires to create a radiant atmosphere.

However if plain white is not your style, don’t be scared off because there are so many other shades of white with minute undertones that will still do the trick.

Make Walls Into Mirrors Using Higher Gloss Paints

Now, there’s one little trick I learned along the way; the shinier a paint is, the more it bounces light. It’s like turning your walls into mirrors!

When you choose paints with higher gloss levels, you are sort of boosting your walls’ reflectivity in case extra brightness is something that might help your space.

On the other hand, flat or matte paints—though warm and velvety—tend to absorb rather than reflect light so probably not best for a lighter room.

But wait, there’s a catch! You don’t have to go all-out glossy if you aren’t really feeling it. Just take a step up from where you were on the “high-gloss” spectrum.

So let’s say you’re like me, who is mad about mattes; why not consider eggshell? And if you already love that slight shine well why not try semi-gloss? It’s just about finding that happy medium for your style and lighting needs.

It should be said that sometimes glossy paints can cause glare, especially under artificial lights with high intensity.

Nonetheless, a little bit of glare isn’t much to pay for having a sunlight-filled room even on days when clouds fill the sky in Kenya.

Believe me, once you’ve experienced how lighter and glossier finishes can transform any space forever.

Use Glass or Highly Reflective Tiles

I’d like to share some thoughts about glass as well as highly reflective tiles that can completely change how bright and comfortable your home feels.

Firstly, glass tiles are particularly good at catching light thus they make an amazing backsplash material, especially in places such as kitchens or bathrooms. It almost makes it feel like there are tiny mirrors all over your walls!

In fact these tiles when subjected to the right amount of light can reflect almost 100% of what comes to them hence instantaneously illuminating the Room.

Alternatively, if glass isn’t your cup of tea opt for highly glazed ceramic tiles which will produce the same reflective effect as glass and make a basic white subway tile backsplash look way better than other fancy materials like concrete or pallet wood.

For those who want to maximize light reflection, metallic backsplash tiles are the way forward. Their shiny surfaces reflect light every which way creating a stunning effect that is hard not to notice.

Replace Wall Space With Glass Blocks

Now, here’s a slightly more adventurous idea: glass blocks.

They aren’t the easiest solution but if you replace parts of your exterior wall with them then all of those gloomy areas in your house can be bathed in natural sunlight for once.

Yes, this would mean some structural changes like putting headers but the brightness gained from it is absolutely worth its effort.

Install Skylights in Your Ceiling

Skylights are also good additions to any home that wants lots of sunshine inside. They function as roof windows and thus cover large areas with glazing material so that much amount of sunlight gets into your building.

Unlike conventional windows, skylights cannot be blocked by elements outside hence ensuring consistent sunlight throughout the day.

Add Reflective Room Features

But apart from this, we should not forget reflective room features. Have you ever been in a sunlit room with a shiny chandelier hanging? It feels like walking into the pages of a storybook! The reflection of sunlight on glossy surfaces can completely make over space.

You do not have to have an enormous chandelier for this. Small things like glass mirrors, sconces, or polished cabinet handles can enhance natural light thereby making it a warm and inviting place that is difficult to leave alone. Believe me, even if it’s just a little glitter, your home will be much brighter!