The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Suggestions to make a dark home a little brighter
Unless you’re trying to sleep or cure a migraine, chances are you’d rather be in a sun-filled room. Natural light often makes us feel better; it makes spaces look prettier (when’s the last time you heard a real estate agent brag about a listing’s darkness?); and it can make everyday tasks such as cooking and reading safer and easier.
“Good lighting at home also is important for your mental health,” says Erin Speck, an assistant professor of design at George Washington University. “You don’t need to light it well enough to land a 747, but humans desire light so we can see everything and understand what the space and the shapes are telling us.
To let in more sunshine — or at least fake it convincingly — here’s what experts recommend.
Don’t overdress your windows
If your home already lacks natural light, the last thing you’ll want to do is unnecessarily block whatever windows you do have.
Keep treatments minimal — or skip them entirely if privacy isn’t an issue. “I’d do Roman shades, not draperies, which can make spaces look heavier and block the sun,” says Washington, D.C., designer Tracy Morris. Sheer roller shades or filmy curtains are also good choices.
Keep your windows clean
Dirt and grime can block a significant amount of light coming through your windows (many pros claim by up to 40%). So keep them sparkling by washing them once or twice per year. To do it yourself, fill a bucket with clean water, a few drops of liquid dish soap and a few drops of rubbing alcohol (to prevent streaks). Then wipe down the outside of the windows with a wet rag. Follow that up by dipping a microfiber cloth into clean water, then wringing it out. Then clean the glass with the cloth and wipe the windows dry with a squeegee. Repeat on the other side of the glass.
Be strategic with lamps and light fixtures
“In the lighting world, we talk a lot about using layers,” says
Joseph Rey-Barreau, a professor of lighting design at the University of Kentucky and a spokesperson for the American Lighting Association. “Many people think one central light fixture is all you need in a room, and that’s simply not enough.”
Instead, to cast and bounce light around at different levels, aim for three types of lighting in most rooms: Ambient or general (such as a chandelier, overhead recessed lights or a central pendant); accent (a wall sconce or a floor lamp that projects light upward); and task (targeted recessed lights in a kitchen or a desk lamp).
Switch out your bulbs
By now, many homeowners have replaced old, no-longer-made incandescent lightbulbs with LED or CFL ones. This means that, instead of the watts system, the quality of light emitted by these new bulbs is measured in Kelvins. In general, for too-dark rooms, “look for bulbs that are 5,000 Kelvins, which mimic daylight and give a whiter light,” says Speck. `“It can make a room feel bigger and brighter.”