We all love a home with abundant natural light! It adds spaciousness and sunshine has a ton of health benefits. If it’s a bit much, here are some helpful tips.
Ahhhh, the lovely feeling of the sun’s rays beaming down on your body. It’s a refreshing, joyous sensation — unless it happens to be early in the morning when you’re trying to sleep.
Letting the sunlight into any room adds a spacious look to your home. But leaving your windows wide open isn’t the way to get the job done!
Here’s your next step:
Embrace the sunshine coming through your apartment windows without sacrificing your privacy.
How?
Use these tips to balance the benefits of natural light while keeping your windows covered, too!
1. Start With Your Decor and Walls
When your room is already full of lighter colors, it doesn’t take a lot of sunlight to boost the atmosphere.
Anything extra that comes through your windows accentuates the brightness in the room. From the shades on your walls to your home decor, the lighter, the better if you want an airy, open feel.
If you get to choose what colors you want on your wall, go with glossy, brighter colors. Matte paints mute the color’s effect, but glossy paints add to the shine!
Picking your colors is important, too. Keep in mind as you check your swatches that neutrals and cooler colors reflect the sunshine. Darker colors absorb the rays.
Most people use three or four different hues of complementary colors to decorate each room. As long as these are all light and the paint is glossy, you’ll notice the effect when the sun streams through your windows!
2. Make a Clear Path
Letting the sunlight into your home gives you plenty of benefits, but it also can damage your furniture. To keep this from happening, make sure there’s a clear path in front of the windows.
If you want the benefit of open windows without damage to your furniture, hang a sheer curtain. Then install sun-blocking blinds or draperies.
But unblocking your windows is also a safety necessity. If you need to get away from a fire or another danger fast, having obstacles in front of your escape route will slow you down.
The path in front of your window should be clear, and so should the panes! If your glass is dirty, the sun isn’t going to get through as easily.
Keeping your window panes clean is essential for other reasons, too. Dirty windows reduce the energy efficiency of your home. Too much grime buildup can put pressure on the glass and cause cracks.
3. Add Mirrors
Have you ever wondered why so many restaurants and professional offices have mirrors in their lobbies?
There’s a method to their mirror-madness. Using mirrors strategically gives the impression of a bigger, brighter room.
The reason for this is science-based. You learned about reflection and refraction in elementary science and again in physics. But as a quick explanation, the sun reflects off the glass surface, spreading the light around the room.
When you hang a mirror on the wall opposite a window, the direct rays hit the glass. It’s the best spot to place your mirror if you want the optimal effect.
Of course, the benefits of a mirror go beyond the sunlight. You can find stylish mirrors in all shapes and sizes to complement the room’s interior design, too!
4. Get Rid of Dark Furniture
Like your decor and walls, dark furniture absorbs light and makes the room seem smaller. If the paint in a room is already dark or there aren’t many windows, you’ll need to make up for those drawbacks with brighter furniture.
It’s okay if you have limited natural light sources in the room, as long as you swap out your dark furniture for a lighter version.
Side and coffee tables made of glass and lucite are even better because light goes straight through them. As with mirrors, the rays bounce off each piece, too, spreading the light around the room.
5. Reap the Benefits
Bright sunshine streaming through your windows may not thrill you, but when you know the benefits — you’ll gladly embrace it.
As the 60’s song by Aquarius sang, “Let the sunshine in!” Each ray helps you reach your daily dose of vitamin D, an essential nutrient in your body.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to chronic conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. But with enough of this vitamin in your body, you’ll feel the health benefits, mentally and physically.
Sunshine’s beneficial side effects include:
- Better sleep: Melatonin is the sleep hormone produced by your body to tell it to rest. When you’re inside all day, it messes up the production schedule and confuses your circadian rhythm.
The more sunshine you get throughout the day, the better the melatonin levels you’ll produce before bedtime.
- Mood boosts: If you’re feeling down in the dumps, standing in front of the natural light your window lets in is a surefire way to feel better. The same melatonin production that helps you sleep also reduces your stress levels.
- Stronger immune system: Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the health of your immune system. The more sunlight you get (with protection), the stronger your body’s natural germ-fighting response is.
Direct sunlight can damage the skin, so if you’re outside getting your vitamin D, be sure to wear sunscreen.
As you learn about the health benefits of sunshine, you’ll bask in the warm rays more often!
Conclusion
Natural light in each room is an aesthetic feature that makes the space more welcoming. It also works as an optical illusion with glass and transparent surfaces to make the room look bigger.
Between the brighter appearance and health benefits, embracing your apartment’s open windows is your next decor step.
[Author Bio:]
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with HQ to help them with their online marketing.
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