Interior Design Tricks to Enhance the Natural Light in Your Home

There’s nothing quite as refreshing and uplifting as a hefty dose of Vitamin D. Especially when it comes to the look and feel of your space, natural light is a powerful tool for creating a warm, inviting, positive atmosphere.

Unfortunately, not every homeowner or apartment dweller is blessed with a wall of windows in each room or a space positioned at the perfect angle for capturing every possible ray of sunlight. If your space is feeling a little too dark and dreary, get creative with a few of these interior design tricks for maximizing your home’s natural light!

Paint your interiors with bright, light colors.

Your first and most powerful weapon against scarce opportunities for natural light? Color! Light, neutral colors will reflect sunlight and spread it throughout your space for a bright and welcoming effect. Paint your walls with soft shades of white (avoid the sterile feel of stark white), light greys, beiges, and other pale neutral hues. Go a few shades lighter for the ceiling to open up the room even more.

Bonus Tip: To make the effects of your interior paint more powerful, stick with the same light, neutral color scheme for your furniture!

Lighten up your window treatments.

Dark, heavy draperies absorb sunlight before it can fully reach the room, even when they’re open! When you’re working with a space that gets little natural light as it is, you can’t afford to lose a single ray. Switch out bulky, gloomy window treatments for light-colored curtains made with lightweight fabrics instead. Sheer, single-paneled curtains or simple blinds that allow you to control the light that comes in are your best bet.

Choose the right flooring.

While they might not come to mind right away, your floors are actually another opportunity to reflect more natural light throughout your home. Update your flooring with light-stained hardwood, or ceramic or stone with a polished finished to achieve the brightest effect on your space. If you have to or prefer to stick with carpeting, a light, neutral color will be your most reflective option.

Decorate with mirrors and other reflective surfaces.

Just like with your light wall colors, natural light will bounce off of reflective surfaces like glass, crystal, metals, and other glossy finishes and spread more widely throughout your space. When it comes to décor that enhances the light in your home, mirrors are your best friend.

Place a large mirror across from a window to reflect the greatest amount of light. Then, decorate the room with other reflective elements to amplify the effect—metallic light fixtures, glossy paintings, even reflective tile backsplash and appliances for the kitchen and bathroom.

Don’t forget about your home’s exterior either.

Opportunities for enhancing natural light inside of your space actually begin outside of your space! Make the path for sunlight to shine through your home as clear as possible, in order to maximize the amount you have to work with in your interior. Start by trimming any trees, bushes, or foliage that block your doors or windows. Then, clean your windows thoroughly (inside and out) so they let in as much light as possible. To give sunlight another extra boost of reflection, paint your eaves (the overhangs of your roof) white!

At Conway Furniture, our goal is to provide you with the high-quality furniture, décor, and other household accessories you need to make your space feel bigger, brighter, and more like you. Our furniture specialists can help you choose the best pieces to bring out the natural light in your home or achieve any other effect you desire.

Shop our online inventory today or stop by the store to find the perfect new addition to your space!