With the season change fast approaching, sunlight will soon be at our disposal and it is an excellent idea to use it to your advantage. The optimal use of natural lighting for the home or office is very popular. It is receiving even more attention nowadays because it promotes an energy efficient setting.
The living room is often a very social area in the home. It is where you entertain your guests or where the family gathers for some quality time. Living rooms should be designed for ultimate comfort with a pleasing aesthetic and natural lighting can serve both of these ideals.
Helen Keller famously said, “Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” We think that’s a great sentiment to keep in mind when considering living room designs.
Here are the top four reasons why we think natural lighting should be one of your top considerations for living room designs:
- It will lower your electricity expenses as you will make less use of artificial lighting and minimise the use of your heater or air conditioner.
- It reduces the growth of mildew and mould as mould and mildew thrive in dark, damp places. The more light you let in, the more heat you let in and this prevents moisture from building up.
- Architects make use of natural lighting in their designs as it makes the space appear larger and illuminated.
- It has a proven positive effect on personal wellbeing. It promotes healing, has been found to help prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and increases productivity.
Incorporating natural lighting into your living room design will not detract from your chosen style.
Your living room doesn’t have to look like something out of a Martha Stewart Interior Design guide or be in accordance with some modern minimalists musings on clean and functional living. If you enjoy rich leathers, dark colours or even art deco with heavy accent walls and pieces, including natural lighting will not detract from your personal taste but rather enhance it
Here are our four top tips for incorporating natural lighting in your living room designs:
- Make optimal use of your windows by frosting them. This will allow for maximum natural lighting as approximately 93% of the light is still allowed through the frosting. Window Art’s frosted vinyl decals are a fuss-free window frosting solution.
- If you have an average to low ceiling in your home, always paint the ceiling in a colour that is lighter than the walls. A lighter shade of paint on the ceiling will have the effect of visually expanding the space and illuminating the area.
- Make use of matt paint as opposed to gloss as it will better reflect the natural light.
- Place mirrors on walls opposite to your windows in the living room to reflect natural light into areas where there aren’t any windows.
Your living room designs will benefit greatly from the use of natural lighting.
Creating a warm and comfortable setting in your living room is an easy way to update your interior style. If you do nothing else but remove your curtains or blinds, you are more than halfway to achieving the desired effect. For privacy, protection from UV glare and an additional design element, consider Window Art’s frosted vinyl decals. Your living room and back pocket will benefit from natural lighting with our affordable and stylish decals.
