A cozy space, your home is a place where you relax after a long day at work. However, a home shouldn’t just be well-designed for comfort and functionality but also well-lit. In fact, a bright home positively impacts your health.
For one thing, it allows you to sleep better at night since light plays a significant role in regulating your circadian rhythm, which is the sleep-wake cycle that can aid you in getting a good rest. Light lets your body know when to be awake and when to sleep.
Moreover, a well-lighted home uplifts your mood and increases your energy levels by triggering the release of serotonin and endorphins in your brain. It even helps protect you from seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that people usually experience during seasons with less sunlight, autumn and winter.
If you feel that your home looks rather dim, you can liven it up, starting with your living room. Here’s how.
Table of contents
Top 5 Lighting Basics To Brighten Up Your Living Room
1. Install Window Blinds
Window blinds act like your curtains—but with a twist. They’re segmented horizontally or vertically into equal parts. When closed, the parts lay horizontally against each other such that there’s no space between them. However, when you open them, they’ll be parallel, allowing light to pass through.
For maximum lighting in your living room, it’s advisable to go for the fabric vertical blinds. The advantage of window blinds is that you can control the amount of light streaming into your living room. Blinds have a chain or a wand system, which you use to control the blinds. If you want as much light as possible, adjust them so that they’re parallel to each other.
If there’s too much glare in your living room, adjust the blinds to a certain angle. This will reduce the glare while still inviting light.
2. Opt For Light Colors
The colors you use directly affect the brightness of your living area. Dark colors bring about darkness whereas light colors illuminate a space. Therefore, you should go for a light color scheme.
Choose furniture pieces with a light-colored fabric, such as white, cream, light gray, baby blue, or beige. If you have a rug, a cream-colored one will do. Your curtains or blinds should be cream or light grey as well. However, light grey is often the most preferred color for curtains when lighting up a home.
3. Add A Skylight
A skylight serves the same purpose as large windows do. It ensures that your space receives as much sunlight during the day, helping you save on energy bills. What’s more, it provides solar heat, warming your home during cold seasons. It lets in fresh air and offers better ventilation too, so you don’t have to turn on the air conditioner.
The size of the skylight will depend on your preference. You don’t have to add a large skylight that takes up the whole roof. For instance, you can have it above the reading area in your living room. If you have an open-plan living room, you can add a couple of skylights in the middle of the area.
Skylights will be an architectural feature that draws your attention and captivates your guests.
4. Include Large Windows
Gone are the days when architects designed small windows for living rooms. Designers now incorporate large windows, aiming for elegance and more natural lighting. For example, floor-to-ceiling windows make the space more inviting and attractive.
Aside from creating an appealing area, large windows bring nature indoors. While lounging in your living room, you can marvel at the gorgeous views of your garden, landscape, or neighborhood.
Consider adding floor-to-ceiling windows that open. This way, you’ll get to have an indoor and outdoor living space. The outdoor living area will make for a lovely entertainment space for social gatherings with friends or family.
With skylights and large windows in your living area, you’ll enjoy taking in the views and spending time with your loved ones even more.
5. Improve Your Ceiling
The most ‘naked’ part of your living room, your ceiling covers the entire space, significantly impacting the overall look of your home. So, improving it will be a brilliant idea.
The secret to a well-designed ceiling is adding lighting fixtures, such as downlights at the edges or around if you have a suspended ceiling. Place them at equal intervals.
If the suspended part is rectangular in shape, have three downlights on each length at the same intervals. At the center, add a chandelier.
This approach will also work well for a living area with a flat ceiling. Place the downlights all around the ceiling’s edges.
Downlights do more than just provide additional lighting. They generate and depend on less heat, making them practical. Last but not least, they highlight your living room, transforming it into a space that’s as stylish as it is snug.
Conclusion
The key to a dazzling living room is a well-planned and effective lighting system. By applying these lighting basics, you’ll have a beautiful space that’s full of life.