Trip the light fantastic
Dark mornings and evenings getting you down? Don’t despair, there are plenty of ways to bring back the light, says interior designer LESLEY TAYLOR
WE might have passed the shortest day of the winter, but for most of us, the sky will still be dark when we set out in the morning and dark when we get back – that is a lot of darkness for anyone to deal with.
If you want to inject some brightness in to your life, it could be time to start thinking about your home’s lighting.
And the great news is there are solutions for every home; with budgets to suit all pockets.
GET GREEN-FINGERED
BEFORE thinking about installing skylights or re-wiring your home to create a new lighting scheme, another relatively cheap trick is to do a little bit of gardening.
If your home and garden are surrounded by towering trees, especially if they are close to windows and doors, give them a really good trim. Not only will your garden look better but your newly-trimmed trees won’t block light from getting into the home.
Use a similar process on the inside of the home by removing clutter and unnecessary trinkets from window frames.
■ Lesley Taylor is the author of 10 interior design books and has appeared on a range of network TV shows, including This Morning, giving inspirational advice on home styling. For more information on her work, head to lesleytaylor.co.uk
RE-VAMP YOUR LIGHTING SCHEME
IT CAN feel as though internal lights are on 24/7 at this time of year and if that is the case in your home, it’s essential the artificial light complements – instead of detracts – from the home’s natural light.
Gone are the days when a light fixture was placed in the centre of a room, with a few lamps in the corners to add support.
Re-designing your home’s lighting scheme can transform how you use each room in the home so the first thing you need to consider is how each room is used.
For example, does your kitchen serve as an informal dining area? If so, a dedicated light above the dining area is a must. You could then incorporate strip lighting running the length of your wall cupboards to illuminate worktops and food preparation areas.
Another on-trend lighting look is three low-slung pendant lights running the length of a dining table.
This creates beautiful mood lighting and highlights the area of the room used most often.
NATURAL TOUCH
NOTHING beats natural light. And if you want to flood your home with the most glorious of natural light it can come at a cost.
Skylights and bi-fold doors both allow more natural light to flood the home.
Bi-folds with their slim frames and large window surface area will not only add the wow factor from an aesthetic point of view but will make the most of any daylight.
The same can be said of skylights. Skylights are when part of the roof – or in some cases all of it – is replaced by a pitched window. Not only do they look amazing but they reduce our reliance on artificial lighting which means they can help lower energy bills.
Neither of these are particularly cheap, however, if you shop around for a reputable supplier, both will prove a worthy investment that may even add value to the home.