Whether you’re selling your home, or you just want to enrich your home life experience, small changes to the lighting can make big differences.
Outside features, such as a front entry with an exterior barn door, are much easier to illuminate than indoor elements. Great lighting not only adds monetary value to your home but also adds an aesthetic element that makes it uniquely your own.
Check out these simple but inspiring ways to use natural light and light fixtures to enhance the beauty of your home.
Using Natural Light in Interior Decorating
The use of natural light to enhance specific features of your home is a well-known trick of the decorating trade. Natural light is simply sunlight filtering in through your windows, doors, and skylights. It’s a sought-after component of most homebuyers because it allows them to use less artificial light which lowers energy bills significantly.
Natural light used in interior decorating has several benefits, including:
- Make a small space seem less confining
- Brings out deeper features of the color scheme
- Increases serotonin levels
- Helps you stay productive
How to Increase Natural Light in Your Home
Having a reliable source of natural light in your home provides you with so many more benefits than artificial light. Smaller homes and those that don’t face the sunrise can often seem too dark, but there are many great ways to increase natural light in your home. Here are just a few to consider:
- Paint your eaves white
Eaves can be left open or covered with soffit. Either way, painting the exposed areas a bright white helps to reflect the sun’s natural light into your home through the windows.
- Paint walls and ceilings light colors
Light colors and bright whites are a simple way to reflect light indoors. Light Reflectance Value, or LRV, ranges from 100% for pure white to 0% for black. All colors between them have a greater or lesser LRV.
- Use a high-gloss paint
The glossier your walls are, the more reflective they are. Light bounces of glossy walls much faster than on matte surfaces.
Can Light Fixtures Enhance my Homes’ Best Features?
The type of lighting and fixtures you use in your home can definitely add value if you ever sell, as well as improve the character and aesthetics. Consider the areas where lighting is most important such as the entrance, kitchen, and bathroom. Could a brighter light or a more subdued hue change your perspective of the room? There’s only one way to find out.
How to Use Artificial Lights and Fixtures to Accentuate Your Home
Fortunately, there are many simple and affordable ways to upgrade your home’s lighting. Here are a few of the most effective:
- Use lighting as a focal point
Large rooms look great with a huge hanging chandelier. It draws the eye and makes a point of interest in the room. Smaller rooms look great with distinctive floor lamps or sconces.
- Use dimmers to instantly change the atmosphere of the room
They are also fantastic at balancing natural light with artificial light and saving on your electric bill.
- Use light in unusual and unexpected ways
Light the interior of a bookcase or illuminate a work of art to add subtle light to a room.
- Don’t forget exterior lights.
Lights in the yard, garage, and outside the front door give a specific impression to people looking at your home.
Can Lighting Improvements be Efficient and Affordable?
The short answer is yes. When homeowners think about cheap home improvements, they don’t automatically go to lighting. There is a misconception that lighting upgrades are all extremely expensive. That is a misnomer that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Just like every home improvement project, there are ways to cut corners without cutting value. Consider these simple tips:
- Consider lights that turn off when doors close or people leave the room or use an occupancy sensor
- Use bright lights only in rooms that need them, such as the kitchen and garage
- Use energy saver lights and fixtures
The right lighting can add thousands of dollars to the value of your home, even if you don’t make any other improvements. Do your research and find out the best values before you go shopping and you’ll have a warm and inviting home in no time.