6 Ways to Maximise The Natural Light in Your HDB Home

You’ve heard it all before – the brighter your space, the bigger it will seem. If you don’t have the best window placements, here’s what you can do to bring the light in.

There are all sorts of tips and tricks to make a small space look expansive, with lighting being one of them. While there are many ways to brighten up your home (read: using artificial lighting), we find that nothing works quite as well as natural light.

So, if you find that your home isn't allowing enough light in, here are six changes you can make for brighter, well-lit spaces.

1. Place large furniture strategically

This is the easiest way to get ample sunlight streaming into your living space. If you own tall or bulky pieces of furniture, make sure they aren’t placed directly in front of windows where most of the daylight enters from.

Instead, study where shadows may be cast when arranging your furniture. If you have a wall corner right beside your window, that’s where you might want to place your cabinet. Otherwise, consider a cosy spot further away from the windows.

2. Use translucent curtains

In the bedroom, blackout curtains may be good to help you to get a good night's sleep, but for the living areas, a smarter alternative would be to use sheer curtains that allow natural light to gently stream in sans the direct glares and unbearable sunbeams.

The best substitute would be layered curtains that are a combination of sheer, thin fabric layered with thicker curtains. That way, you can get sunlight in during the day, and privacy at night by switching them up.

3. Lighten up your walls

Darker shades of wall paint like black, dark blue, olive and taupe, tend to absorb light, meaning less light gets reflected in your house. Opt for lighter shades like white, beige, grey and lavender, that are generally more luminous and emphasise the presence of natural light. For more off-beat and light colours, you can also choose from options such as aqua, baby blue, light pink and sunny yellow.

4. Lighten up your ceilings and floors too

Other than your walls, dark-coloured ceilings and floors tend to cast illusions of shadows on any room. When renovating your space, pick a light-coloured material such as vinyl or white marble. If your floors are already dark, don't worry as you can always add rugs of varying neutral shades and patterns.

5. Install floor-length mirrors

If repainting and renovating your walls and floors is not a feasible option, setting up two wide, floor-length mirrors opposite each other or on adjacent walls could be an affordable and convenient alternative.

Not only will the mirrors create an illusion of endless depth and space, their reflective surfaces will ensure that any natural light that enters is thrown back into the room to really brighten up the home.

6. Pick out metallic ornaments

Accessorise your home with metallic ornaments – while not as reflective as mirrors, they still do a great job sending light back into your rooms. Plus, these decorative bowls, vases and lamps in various metallic shades like copper and gold do a great job at making your home look even more elegant and sophisticated.

You could also incorporate metallic accents into your home’s features. Think gold groove lines and cabinetry with a brassy finish.

Build a brighter home!

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