The Role Light Plays In Our Homes

When it comes to making the home a place that looks and feels wonderful, it is all too easy to become bogged down with the many trends that happen to be the next big thing during any particular season. Grey, outside in, minimalism, Hygge – there’s always something new to consider when it comes to the home. Inspiration from any source is never a bad thing and can truly enhance your home and reinvigorate your approach to decorating. However, it is all too easy to get so wrapped up in the latest thing that we forget about the basics.

The foundations of home design include five elements: mass, form, line, bulk and colour. You can read more about basic home design in this handy article. However, an even more basic but incredibly important aspect of the way a home looks and feels is light. Both natural and artificial light can completely transform any space, and change how we feel about it. A room can look small, yellowed and suffocating with one type of light, and fresh, clean and inviting with another. Light is an incredibly important aspect of a home aesthetic and it is useful to understand how it can be utilised to your best advantage.

Lighting is everything in a room, it creates atmosphere, drama and intrigue. – Martyn Lawrence Bullard

The Importance Of Natural Light In The Home

Natural light is important to us as humans in so many different ways. Early man was led by an inner circadian rhythm, which relates to the rising and setting of the sun, regulating our natural sleep settings. We still have the same rhythm inside, but it is generally overthrown by our own routines (which cannot be dictated by the sun) and disturbed by blue light from technology.

Natural light also helps us produce Vitamin D, leads us to be more productive it helps us see better and sleep better. Importantly, it helps us gain serotonin in the brain, which is an instant mood booster. Of course, the best option is to get outside in nature, which adds even more benefits to the gifts we are already getting from natural light. However, filling the home with natural light is certainly a good second best to enjoy the rest of the time, when we are inside and we deserve to get the maximum benefits from a space that costs a lot to rent or buy, and run day today.

The more natural light we can get in the home, the better because of the benefits to us, and the fact that any room looks bigger and more inviting filled with natural light. Here are some tips to help you invite natural light into your home:

• Switch out full wooden or plastic interior doors with beautiful glass panelled internal bifold doors such as these examples from Vufold
• Clear plants and ornaments from window ledges
• Clean the windows
• Always open curtains and blinds in the day, even in winter
• Cut away bushes and trees blocking the light externally
• Utilise mirrors in the home to reflect natural light

The Importance Of Artificial Light In The Home

Artificial light is so important in the home. It changes the way the room feels, how big the room feels. The type of lights used and the way they are placed are integral parts of interior design and affect the functionality and style of any home. Understanding the many possibilities for artificial lighting in any room, opens the doors to seemingly endless lighting choices, creating the kind of multi-functionality most homeowners dream of. The right combination and placement of lights in the home really can transform the space.

Here are some tips to help you harness the power of artificial light in your home:

• Visit light centres and shops for inspiration
• Speak to an electrician about the possibilities for lighting fixtures and placement in your home
• Take a look at the Energy Savings Trust advice on the best lighting to use for eco-friendly energy usage in the home
• Create a lighting plan: you can find a great guide to create a lighting plan on the BBC Homes website
• Remember that functionality is key, but fixtures and light decoration can be incredibly impactful too

The role of light in the home is significant, and can often be overlooked. The ambience and aesthetic of a room can be enhanced or utterly destroyed by the lighting. If you use the wrong position for your lighting, nasty shadows are created and there’s an eerie vibe to the space. Too little lighting and you’re also in the dim, motel, creepy void. Too much lighting and you’re causing headaches and destroying any ambience created by lovely colour schemes or furniture.

I am going to make everything around me beautiful, that will be my life. – Elsie de Wolfe

The light in your home is a tool that can make or break how each space feels and looks. Experiment, seek inspiration, and use the endless possibilities light provides to create the kind of home you have always dreamed of.