I’ll always remember the yr my husband and I lived in a house with minimal pure mild. We had been in a brief dwelling scenario and the house was located amidst timber that blocked the solar. The primary dwelling areas had been virtually at all times forged in shadows, and we at all times needed to be cautious of ice as we left the home within the winter. No solar on the entrance door meant the ice took longer to soften—so we gingerly walked round frozen patches of concrete properly into March. Because the yr progressed, I questioned why my temper was down greater than normal. The darkness had taken its toll on my psychological well being. As we ultimately searched for brand spanking new residences, pure mild was the primary precedence.
I thank my fortunate stars on daily basis that I now reside in a house drenched in daylight. Our properties ought to make us blissful, and sunshine is thought for reinforcing serotonin and lifting moods. There’s no higher feeling than strolling right into a room with daylight streaming by the home windows, casting gentle shadows and illuminating cozy corners. There’s a purpose our beloved pets discover the small patches of sunshine to curve up underneath!
Whether or not you reside in a sun-soaked dwelling or are in search of methods to brighten up a dim house, bringing in mild can remodel your house. From sheer curtains to gentle palettes and an abundance of vegetation, right here’s the best way to model light-filled interiors.
picture above from our interview with Jessie De Lowe, by Michelle Nash
Set up Sheer Curtains
A room with out curtains can really feel unfinished, like one thing is lacking. A window with curtains makes an area look extra polished, intentional, and cohesive. And naturally, curtains dictate how pure mild enters a room. Consider curtains as the ultimate layer that ties every thing collectively, like equipment for an outfit. Briefly: light-filled interiors want curtains.
If you wish to let sunshine into your house as an alternative of protecting it, sheer curtains filter the sunshine softly. Gentle linen or gauzy cotton panels will create an ethereal, ethereal really feel and the feel will assist soften onerous surfaces like wooden floors and furnishings. The fitting curtains can remodel a room from stark and sterile to heat and welcoming right away.
Embrace a Comfortable, Impartial Coloration Palette
Gentle-filled interiors shine even brighter with colours that mirror and improve pure mild. Whereas darker colours take up the sunshine as an alternative of reflecting it, heat neutrals will make an area really feel open and welcoming—even because the solar strikes all through the day. Sunlit rooms will naturally really feel calm, however colours like cream, taupe, and beige will simply improve these feel-good emotions.
Coloration additionally doesn’t must be fully off the desk—muted pastels like blush, sage, or mild blue will work properly whereas holding the palette gentle.
Beautify with Vegetation
Considered one of my prized possessions is a fiddle leaf fig I’ve had since 2019. She brings a lot magnificence to my sunny dwelling workplace. Fiddle leaf figs are notoriously temperamental, so I’m particularly happy with how a lot she’s grown through the years. They love the solar, and make an ideal addition to a well-lit room.
Gentle-filled interiors virtually beg for vegetation. Vegetation breathe life into an area, add a pop of coloration, and even enhance air high quality. A room doesn’t really feel full and not using a little little bit of greenery, particularly one with nice mild. Simply ensure that the vegetation you add to your room will love direct daylight and never be overwhelmed by it. You too can be strategic on the place you place them, in case your vegetation want extra oblique mild.
Assertion vegetation like fiddle leaf figs and olive timber look lovely in lounge corners, they usually each love a lot of mild. Pothos and snake vegetation are heartier and are nice for plant freshmen. Planters are additionally a chance so as to add coloration and texture to your house—so choose ones that you just discover lovely and praise your house (and the plant!).
Select Gentle, Pure Supplies
I dream of getting a sunroom in the future. I might fill it with mild wooden furnishings, a heat white comfortable chair, and a woven espresso desk—very similar to Camille’s attractive sitting space in her bed room. Pure supplies and gentle textures are excellent for light-filled interiors.
Texture is every thing, particularly in a room stuffed with neutrals, so go for natural supplies like linen or cotton and pair them with woven accents like wicker, rattan, or jute. These supplies lean into the calm, serene atmosphere a well-lit room naturally brings. Cumbersome furnishings will really feel heavy in an in any other case mild and recent feeling house—lighter wooden and woven accents are greatest.
Hold Decor Intentional and Minimal
Coming into a room full of decor and tchotchkes can really feel overstuffed and cluttered. There’s no must pack a sunlit room with decor—let nature do the speaking. A room with pure mild will routinely make a room really feel open and ethereal. Stick to a couple prime quality items of decor that convey you pleasure and preserve litter to a minimal. A classy espresso desk ebook, a candle, framed images of family members or a vase of flowers are excellent. Your vegetation additionally depend as decor!
Use Mirrors Strategically
Styling mantles generally is a enjoyable design problem, and my favourite option to model them is with a big mirror. Mirrors on a mantle not solely make a stupendous focus, however they will additionally double the quantity of sunshine in a room by reflecting daylight. This may make your house really feel even bigger than it’s, in addition to brighter. A win-win! Place a mirror reverse or adjoining to a window for optimum brightness.
In case your house doesn’t have a mantle, or a spot for a big mirror—any reflective floor will assist bounce the sunshine. Go for mirrored trays, or an acrylic espresso desk to maintain the house feeling vibrant and balanced.
A sun-drenched dwelling isn’t nearly aesthetics—it’s about creating an area that feels mild and recent. By incorporating sheer textures, gentle palettes, greenery, and pure supplies, you possibly can remodel your light-filled interiors into vibrant and welcoming retreats. So go forward and let the sunshine in!
