How Do I Make My Home Brighter?
We get asked this question all the time! The conversation usually begins with a home owner who has either been living in their existing home for awhile or someone who has just purchased a new home, and they find it too dark and want help to brighten things up.
There are some key things to look at to assess why your home feels dark.
Sun Exposure
If your home has lots of windows, but they are on the north or east sides of your home, this could affect the amount of natural light available to come into your space. Sometimes this can be solved by adding windows, but often building/fire codes strictly limit the amount of glass a home can have in walls that border another home, making this an unviable solution in many cases.
Roof Overhangs
If you are wanting to brighten up a foyer or room at the back of your home, but on the exterior there are roof overhangs that limit the amount of natural light reaching those rooms, no amount of window adding in these areas is going to help.
Colours of Existing Finishes
Anytime you introduce a dark colour to a space, it is going to absorb light. So, if you have dark espresso hardwood or dark cabinetry, those finishes are going to prevent light from being bounced around the room and will make your space feel much darker. Dark floors can be a light killer if you are wanting a bright and airy feel. In addition, every paint colour has it’s own light reflectance value. Some colours are great at reflecting light and some are great at absorbing light - so be aware of how this can impact how bright your space feels.
Even your furnishings, window coverings and decor can help or hinder the amount of light that moves freely around your home. Guess what those big black leather sofas do for your light? Absorb it!
Lighting
THE most effective way to make your home feel bright is to add lighting. In Edmonton, winters are long and natural light is often not available when we are using our spaces. Now not just any old lighting will do, but a combination of good quality recessed overhead lighting, accent lighting with lamps and ceiling mounted fixtures is key to giving you the best overall effect. Pay specific attention to the lumen (light) output of your fixtures and the colour temperature. If you want bright and fresh - stick with a kelvin temperature of 3000-3500, high lumens with fixtures on dimmers and fixtures that are not undersized for the spaces they will be lighting - rarely does a fixture with one or two light bulbs do the trick unless used in a grouping.
In summary, you need to understand the key reasons your home feels dark. Then try and tackle the elements that you can based on your budget and that will have the greatest impact and work from there. If you aren’t sure why your home feels dark, reach out and we will see if we can help!