No matter your taste in home decor and design, you're likely to have one thing in common with every other enthusiast—the idea that a lighter room is a better room. It's not for nothing that house prices rise and fall based on the direction they face. House-buyers are chasing the sunlight, and you'll see that desire replicated in home design magazines and inspiration photographs everywhere. Light makes any space look bigger and more open, regardless of its actual dimensions or contents. But how exactly can you maximise these effects in your own home? Here are a couple of ideas.
French Doors
It's like having a floor-to-ceiling window installed—and it really makes a difference. They're nice for interior doors too, but they especially shine as exterior doors, letting light flood unobstructed into the room from the outside world no matter the time of day. Because French doors are so simple in their design, they're also a good aesthetic match for any room, regardless of whether it's traditional or modern in its styling. They strike a nice balance; they'll blend easily into the space, but they'll also be a very noticeable feature.
Retractable Blinds
Curtains are beautiful, but often quite heavy. Even when open, they're still obscuring a portion of your window frame, and that does keep some light out. If you're not too attached to the aesthetic appeal of your curtains, you should consider switching them out for a blind that folds or rolls completely out of the way. This will allow you the best of both worlds; they're easy to close when you'd prefer shade or privacy, but they're barely there when you'd prefer an open window.
Light Colour Schemes
It seems logical to assume that jewel tones such as pink, purple or teal would brighten up your walls, and therefore the room. After all, they're bright colours themselves. In truth, however, it's the opposite. These colours are beautiful, but they're busy and distract the eye. Instead, keep your jewel tones as highlight colours and opt for mostly light neutrals. It doesn't need to be polar white to work; in fact, choosing something with a hint of another colour may be more effective. This undertone can be warm such as apricot or mauve, or cool such as eggshell blue. So long as you keep it light, then it will reflect the sun and really open up the room.
Of course, there are many ways to let the light in, and these are only a couple of suggestions. Equally, you don't need to use them all in combination—but giving some thought to how light enters your room, and how light is likely to interact with your colour scheme, can make the world of difference in your home. These ideas just might help.
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