Everyone loves a space with plenty of gorgeous natural light, but not everyone wants to share their personal business with their neighbors. Luckily there are plenty of ways to invite more light into your space without having to negotiate on privacy. Here are six awesome ways to invite more light into your space without sharing too much with your nosy neighbor:
- Artificial Lighting
While installing a new electrical plan is one of the best ways to optimize your home lighting, there are plenty of other things you can do if that’s not within the budget. Update outdated light fixtures, and choose from hundreds of fun, modern styles that will suit your aesthetic and create more light. Opt for LED over incandescent bulbs, which last longer, are more energy-efficient, and do some incredible things including mimic natural light. You also want to think about the light’s focal point; where will it hit, and how will it transfer from there? Adding layered lighting – aka multiple sources with adjustable brightness and disbursements – will make the lighting feel more natural and brighter than it will fill the space more evenly and organically.
- Paint
Choosing darker paints will not only make your space feel smaller but also absorbs the light. If you’re looking for a quick, effective, and inexpensive way to brighten your space, a quick coat of light-toned paint will reflect light back into the room, whether it’s coming in from the windows or from light fixtures. Another useful tip is to add a gloss coat to walls, ceilings, doors, and/or trim work as well as your furniture. The light will naturally reflect, creating the illusion that your space is brighter than it actually is. However, before you pick up your brush, think about what and how much of the room you want to be glossy, since applying too much can make the room feel cold.
- Window Treatments
Most interior designers and decorators will agree that there is nothing better than natural lighting. However, it can be uncomfortable to sacrifice privacy when rolling up the blinds to let natural light in. By selecting the right window treatments, the folks at Shuttercraft suggest that you can get the best of both worlds by easily adjusting shutters throughout the day to change the way light filters into the space and at the same time assure privacy. While curtains must either be open or closed, shutters are a trick that experts rely on to allow natural light into a space, while maintaining privacy for the homeowner.
A really great way to welcome more light in your room is to arrange your furniture in a way that will allow the light to flow. Many people place the couch in front of the window bank and hang the TV on the opposite wall. However, depending on the height, size, and position of the window, this arrangement can easily block light from entering the space or being able to move around it. Think of how the sun lights up your yard; it beams in a downward trajectory and reflects off of the grass upward. When natural light comes in your window, it isn’t simply shooting in horizontally. Instead of your largest furniture, try putting accent pieces such as armchairs in front of the window and see how much more freely the light moves around the room.
- Greenery and Decor
While they won’t necessarily add any light to the room, houseplants and decorative items can help to reflect light around the room as well as create the impression that the room is lighter, or less stagnant. Glossy, light, and interesting decorative items can brighten up your space by moving the eye away from darker, duller spots. Houseplants are especially great for adding privacy near windows, as though they will filter the light, they won’t block it entirely. They also create a more organic feel within the space, which compliments any natural light.
- Mirrors
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to brighten your space is to use mirrors. Not only do they create the illusion of a larger space, but light bounces off of mirrors, creating the feeling of a brighter, more open space. Hang a large mirror over the fireplace mantel and large furniture pieces such as dressers, desks, and buffets. Choose interesting frames that both act as artwork and a tool for brightening the space, and hang them near the entries of your home, or any surface that could use a little extra attention and light.
Getting more light doesn’t have to mean sacrificing privacy. Using these tips, you can easily brighten and preserve the privacy of any space in your home from living rooms to home offices, bedrooms to bathrooms, creating a home that you love and enjoy.