Natural Light at Home: Seven Ways to Brighten Any Room

A well-lit home feels more open and costs less to light. You don't need to knock down walls or add windows; most of the time a few changes to color, fabric and furniture placement are enough to carry daylight into the darker corners.

Colors and surfaces

Light walls and ceilings bounce daylight around. Warm white, cream and very pale gray are safe choices.

Pale floors and slightly glossy surfaces, like glazed tiles, spread light through the room too.

Read more: Designing a Small Apartment: Make Every Square Foot Count

Curtains, mirrors and windows

Swap heavy drapes for light, sheer fabrics that keep your privacy and still let the sun in.

A large mirror opposite or beside a window can nearly double the light. Clean the glass often; dust blocks more light than you'd think.

An open layout

Keep tall sofas and cabinets away from windows. The clearer the path, the deeper daylight reaches into the room.

In rooms that open onto each other, a glass door or a transom window above the door carries light from a bright room into the hallway.

The takeaway

Daylight makes a home feel bigger and lifts your mood. Color, mirrors, curtains and layout can pull far more of it indoors.

This is a sample article, written to show what the blog can do.