Nicer weather is upon us, and with that it’s a good time to consider home updates to bring out the lighter, fresher side of your home. Here are some ways to open your home to a brighter look, all budgets considered.
Using Glass to Your Advantage
Glass is an obvious choice for bringing more light into the home. New, bigger or reconfigured windows can have an immediate impact on not just lighting, but also the efficiency of your home. Besides adding windows, you may also want to consider adding skylights to capture that precious, direct sunlight. Super-efficient Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDs) can help you harvest the most natural light possible to cut down on artificial lighting. Last but not least, interior and exterior French doors can improve the flow of natural light from space to space and connect you to the outside.
In this remodel, a small window brings near the stove brings in natural light that helps illuminate the small kitchen making it appear larger.
Choose Reflective Surfaces
Reflective surfaces are perfect for amplifying your lighting. For example, marmoleum or wood flooring echoes your ceiling lights, and strategically-placed mirrors are a natural counterpoint to windows.
Knock Down a Wall
There are few quicker ways to let a room breathe than to knock down a wall. Creating a single room out of two can improve the flow of not only space, but also light.
Declutter
For a more open feel and clean lines, a uniform cabinet system also works wonders. Glass-front cabinets are becoming popular for decluttering and creating an airy look. Add in some under-cabinet LED lighting to give them an even greater wow factor.
Paint Wisely
Sometimes a simple repaint is all that’s needed to lighten up a home. There are two trains of thought in choosing paint colors for darker spaces. On one hand, warmer colors can create a livelier feel in the space. But balancing them out with neutral or dark colors creates some needed contrast that brings out the brightness. Of course, we always recommend No-VOC paint to reduce toxins and unpleasant odors.
If these ideas have sparked some inspiration, contact us today to start the process of brightening up your living spaces! Our in-house designer can walk you through some ideas to create the look, feel and comfort that you may be craving for your home.
