GARETH BRIDGE SAYS

By their very nature, Victorian terraced houses tend to have a limited amount of external wall with few windows, and even at the rear of the building the number and size may be restricted by extensions.

Add to this a north-facing orientation and you’ll have a very gloomy interior indeed.

The answer is to create a family kitchen and living space that is as bright as possible. This can be done by introducing the maximum amount of glazing to the rear wall. Make the most of this by ensuring you don’t partially cover windows with curtains or blinds, and grab light from the front of the house by opening up the ground floor if that’s feasible. Adding mirrors or inserting glass into walls can also help.

A window in the roof can let in as much as three times more light – of a consistent quality and brightness, even on cloudy days – than a vertical window. Adding roof lights is therefore a very effective way of brightening the middle of the house, and can completely transform a staircase, entrance hall or landing. This is a simple procedure if the house has a single-storey extension, but even if the extension has two or more floors there could be an opportunity to add sections of glazed roof by extending it to the side or rear.

But don’t forget, artificial light can also be very effective during daylight hours. Try to avoid having visible lamps and pendants; instead use illumination as a background element hidden in wall-mounted units or above fitted shelving and cupboards so it is thrown unobtrusively onto the ceiling. At night this can then be supplemented with more specific local lighting.