Access to plenty of natural light is good for both our mental and physical health. Light and airy spaces can also make a room more appealing to spend time in, which in turn can make us feel happier and more energised.
But depending on how a building has been constructed, certain spaces may lack natural light. Or, the positioning of the windows may fail to maximise the amount of natural light which can be let into a room.
In particular, any rooms which are not south-facing may struggle to gain an adequate amount of natural light throughout the colder months. Or the use of artificial lighting could be making a space feel duller rather than brighter.
So how do you let more light into your building? Here is what you need to know.
Install New Windows
There really is no other better solution to gain more natural light in a home or building than to add more windows.
Whether you upgrade old wooden or uPVC windows to aluminium windows or add windows where there was no natural light before, changing your windows can make a huge improvement.
In a domestic property, windows make up approximately 25% of all wall space. But for larger commercial windows the sky’s the limit, with some buildings being completely glass fronted. While it all depends on the building type and planning constraints, paying attention to your windows will ensure the light is maximised. All while helping to be more energy efficient too, especially if you replace old windows with newer technology.
Read more: Window buyers guide
Add Skylights
Can’t add any more windows to your walls? Perhaps you have a long, windowless corridor that needs brightening up?
Skylights could offer an alternative solution, as they will allow natural light to flood the space from directly overhead. For any architectural project, skylights can look particularly stunning. Although even in smaller domestic properties, many people are adding skylights to flat roofs to make the space feel more inviting all year round.
Use Daylight Mimicking Bulbs
Although lightbulbs are not an alternative for natural light being let into the room throughout the day, they can provide a solution where adding more natural light isn’t possible. For instance, in listed buildings or for internal rooms within a building.
But similar to windows, not all lightbulbs are created equal. That’s because lightbulbs can give off different colours. The exact shade of the lightbulb will impact how bright or dull a room appears, which is why daylight-mimicking bulbs make for a top choice.
Choose Decor Carefully
Even if you install all new windows and even skylights into a building, ultimately the amount of light that space benefits from will also depend on the decor.
Aspects such as wall and floor colours as well as furnishings must be subject to careful consideration. For instance, the use of darker colours such as black or navy will absorb the light, whereas a neutral palette will reflect the light.
Although it’s possible to incorporate darker or earthier tones into a room, if gaining more light is the main objective, then you should always try to offset any deeper colours with light fixtures and fittings to create balance.
Helen Stephens, Creative Director of Stephens + Stephens also suggests these two techniques to get some extra light into your home.
Using mirrors strategically
Mirrors are a great way to reflect light into the home without the cost of extra windows or accessories. By positioning glass perfectly where light can bounce off, the amount of natural light that fills a room will double in size.
Adding internal windows
Often in Victorian houses, there are long, darker corridors, so a nice way to open the space and bring in light is to create internal windows between rooms. In a more contemporary style home, you often see half-height walls which allow for a divide in the space, however, a continuous stream of light and space.
Commercial Windows by ABS
Are you in search of adding more light to your building? Adding new aluminium windows will help maximise the light in your building while adding a stunning visual aesthetic in the process.
Energy efficient, our aluminium windows come in various shapes, sizes and configurations to suit most project types.
Based in Nottinghamshire, we operate across the UK and produce our aluminium windows at our purpose-built factory.
If you’re ready to purchase, you can use our build-a-quote service to place your order, Or, if you’d like to speak to our team please give us a call on 01623 721 172.
