How to increase the amount of natural light in your home

When choosing design elements for your renovation, you should look to include elements that increase natural light (sunlight) in your home. While this holds true for most spaces, it is even more important for smaller areas such as bathrooms.

In the absence of natural light, small spaces can appear to be dark, dingy and unattractive – and artificial light won’t help. Increasing the amount of natural light in your home offers a whole range of benefits. It makes your home appear brighter, larger and more inviting and is also effective in keeping certain germs and bacteria at bay.

However, the biggest benefit to homeowners has to be electricity savings. In fact, according to The Australian Residential Electricity Atlas 2011, 11% of household electricity usage comes from lighting. Wouldn’t it be nice if that was cut in half? Well, by introducing more natural light into your home, you can dramatically reduce this figure!

So, how can you increase the amount of natural light in your home? Today, we’ll take a look at just this. Continue reading as I list some effective tips you can incorporate into your home renovation. These tips will allow you to design your home effectively and transform it into a light and bright retreat!

1. Use mirrors to brighten your bathroom

Bathrooms are notorious for being dark and dingy, which is even more true for small bathrooms. If you’re trying to brighten up your bathroom, consider using mirrors. Mirrors work very well in reflecting natural light and can easily brighten up even the darkest of bathrooms.

For the best effect, place mirrors opposite or adjacent to windows in your bathroom. When placed opposite to a window, mirrors will reflect light all over the room. On the other hand, when placed adjacent to windows, mirrors will make it seem like there is more than one window. In either case, mirrors will reflect natural light effectively.

Mirrors are available in a range of sizes and styles. For maximising natural light, you should consider as large a mirror as possible.

For affordable bathroom mirrors in Perth, look no further than our store at Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We offer a range of mirrors and mirror cabinets which are perfect for your bathroom. Our mirrors are built to the highest quality standards and are backed by manufacturer’s warranties. And they are available at incredibly affordable prices, so you need not break the bank.

2. Let natural light into your home through windows

The easiest way to increase the amount of natural light in your home is by letting more light in. Here’s where windows come into the picture. By placing large windows in strategic areas of your home, you can tremendously improve indoor lighting. Plus, windows allow fresh air to enter your home, which is definitely an added bonus.

For your existing windows, avoid using heavy curtains and keep furniture away from them. Pull back your curtains or shades during the day to maximise natural light. And try using light furniture or reflective décor in front of windows to brighten up your space further.

And, if you’re looking to install new windows, head to Ross’s Discount Home Centre to find top-quality aluminium windows in Perth for less. We stock various windows in various sizes that will rid you of your lighting woes. Our windows are attractive and functional and have been designed to the highest of standards. Plus, if you can’t find the right size in our stock windows, we provide a custom-made service to ensure the perfect size for your opening, saving you money on replacement. Email us for a quote on a custom window.

3. Choose glass exterior doors

Doors are another structure that allows you to let more natural light into your home. Unfortunately, this only works with solid doors open, and this is not a practical solution. However, by choosing doors with glass, you can let light into your home even when the doors are closed.

You have several options on hand when it comes to doors with glass elements. French doors, bifold doors, sliding doors and security glass doors are just some of the options you can consider. You can also replace solid exterior doors with one that includes windows. Of all these options, sliding aluminium glass doors are the most budget-friendly, and they also complement a range of interior styles.

Sliding glass doors are a wonderful option. Consisting of large glass sliding panels, they let you take full advantage of any outdoor view and blend in seamlessly with the outdoors.

For quality sliding doors in Perth, look no further than our range at Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We offer aluminium sliding doors in various types, sizes and colour options and at highly competitive prices. Whether you’re after single sliding doors, double sliding doors as well as 3-panel stacking doors or 6-panel stacking doors, you’ll find them in our range. You can even place a special order for a glass entrance door if you want to maximise your natural light. We also offer a custom-made service so you can get the perfect size to fit your opening – a real money-saver if you’re replacing old for new! If you’re interested in getting a custom sliding door made, email us for a quote.

4. Choose kitchen cabinetry and splashbacks with care

This Kitchen is another overlooked area when it comes to maximising natural light. Many kitchens include only a small window, which mostly serves the purpose of ventilation. In fact, unless you have an open-plan kitchen, most will agree that the kitchen is one of the dingiest areas in the home.

Fortunately, choosing your cabinetry and splashbacks with care can increase natural light in your kitchen.

When choosing kitchen cabinetry, always try to choose cabinets that will make your space appear brighter, larger and more open.

While this can be achieved with white or light-coloured cabinets, it isn’t suited to everyone’s tastes. A better alternative is to contrast dark kitchen cabinetry with touches of lighter finishes. For example, dark cabinetry paired with shiny countertop finishes can create an excellent effect.

When it comes to splashbacks, the best options for you to consider are reflective or glossy splashbacks. Glass splashbacks are an excellent choice as they maximise natural light in a kitchen.

However, glass splashbacks are expensive, so consider glossy splashback tiles instead. Splashback tiles are available in various styles and designs, and they are far cheaper than glass splashbacks, just make sure the tile has a gloss finish to reflect light.

Choosing a glossy splashback carefully and pairing it with reflective countertops and shiny surfaces will transform your kitchen, no matter how dark or dingy it is.

And, if you’re wondering where to find the perfect splashback and cabinetry for your kitchen, look no further than Ross’s Discount Home Centre. We stock a range of pre-assembled wall cabinets, base cabinets and pantry cabinets, all in a high-gloss white finish that is sure to lighten the room. In addition to this, we also stock laminate benchtops, laundry cabinets and tapware, which are perfect for your kitchen. For splashbacks, you can look at our wide range of splashback tiles. You’ll find an extensive selection of glossy tiles perfect for reflecting light.

If you need help choosing the right products for your home, just drop by our showroom in Guildford. Our expert sales team will help you choose the right products for your needs. We even offer free delivery across Perth Metro and a genuine 14-day money-back guarantee on all products. With so much on offer, you simply needn’t look elsewhere for your home build/renovation products!

Conclusion:

If you’re undergoing a home renovation, you should look for ways to increase the amount of natural light in your home. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can do so. By choosing your mirrors, windows, doors, kitchen cabinetry and splashbacks carefully, you can dramatically increase natural light in your home.

Mirrors reflect outdoor light, making them perfect for use in small and dark spaces such as bathrooms. For other rooms in the house, you should consider using sliding glass doors and windows. Not only do they look very attractive, but they also allow outdoor light to fully enter indoors. And, for your kitchen, choose your cabinetry and splashbacks wisely. White cabinetry works best in small kitchens. Also, dark cabinetry can be combined with reflective surfaces and lighter finishes to create the desired effect. For splashbacks, you should consider going with glass or glossy splashbacks. Such reflective surfaces will tremendously brighten up your kitchen.

And, for all your home renovation products in Perth, consider us at Ross’s Discount Home Centre. Our warehouse in Guildford is chock full of stock to make your home light and brighter. Whether it be mirrors, doors and windows, kitchen cabinetry and splashback tiles, you’ll find everything that you need under a single roof. Our high-quality products are designed to meet all Australian standards of quality and safety. Moreover, we offer our products at incredibly competitive prices – far lower than most other retailers. By shopping with us, you’ll make the most of your hard-earned money.

Take a look at our online store, or drop by our showroom in Guildford today!