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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 newlytrimmed 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 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 DIGGING out the paint roller and dust sheets might not be the first thing you consider when it comes to introducing more light into the home.
However, painting dark walls in a glorious shade of white will not only make your home appear brighter but will make the space feel bigger too.
White walls will make the most of any natural light in the home, reflecting it instead of absorbing it like some darker colours.
For best results avoid a brilliant white, which will make the home appear cold and clinical, and instead opt for an off-white shade in a satin finish.