Some homes are just depressing, and it’s not because they’re ugly; it’s because they way too gloomy. How can you wake up rejuvenated if your home is lifeless? Homes surrounded by trees for example, are predisposed to increased darkness in the middle of the day. Another possible reason is deep overhanging eaves, designed to shade a house and keep it cool. Low ceilings and shady wood beams also contribute to a sense of obscurity. As much as we love nature, it’s always nice to have a vivid dwelling as well. If your house is too dark, here are some terrific ways you can use glass to brighten your home.
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Install skylights
Skylights are an excellent way to let natural light into your home, brightening up rooms or hallways. You can also get tubular day lighting devices, or TDDs. These are like small skylights. They are reflective tubes or cylinders that run between the ceiling and the roof. At the top is a clear plastic dome. At the bottom is a surface to diffuse the light, so you get a soft glowing light rather than a bright ray of sunshine. In places with no windows, like bathrooms or hallways, these can be especially useful.
Change to glass doors
You can let in a lot of light by using doors with large glass panes for your front and back doors. Wooden doors block all of the light, and doors with colored glass panels block most of it. Instead, look for doors with big panels of clear glass. Putting sidelights next to the door lets in even more light. For privacy, you can use etched glass, which still lets in ample light.
Decorative items made of glass
One of the easiest ways of brightening a home with glass is by adding decorative items made of glass. Replace your wood coffee table with a beautiful glass table. Invest in a bigger model in order to allow as much sunlight as possible to reflect on the table, and thus spread natural light around your living room.
Add more windows
Adding a window to a room can bring in a lot of light, and also make the room seem more expansive by providing a view to the outdoors. Living rooms and kitchens are both popular places to add more windows, since you spend a lot of time there. If you are doing a kitchen remodel, you could consider removing a cabinet to make room for a window – either adding another window, or enlarging an existing small window. You can also consider adding a window on a stairway landing, which is usually a dark spot.
Replace solid interior doors
Solid doors block off a space, providing a dark ending to a hallway, and looking like a dead end. While interior doors do offer benefits for climate control and sound proofing, you can keep the doors and still open up the space by using glass doors. When you replace an interior door with a glass door or French doors, it lets the light flow through, and it makes the space feel more airy and open.
Use mirrors wisely
Anywhere that you have a window or door that lets in natural sunlight, you have an opportunity to multiply that light with a mirror. For example, if your living room has a lovely picture window looking at the view outside, you could put up a mirror on the opposite wall. Now people facing the other way will also get that lovely light and view. Mirrors come in all different shapes and sizes – plain, elaborate, antique, or artistic. You can combine them, too, placing an array of mirrors on a wall for a unique look and a lot of reflected light.
Natural light has the power of making a home seem wider and a lot more comfortable. The best way to bring light inside a room is through the inclusion of glass items. Whether we’re referring to glass furniture, glass decorations, or mirrors, one thing’s for sure- glass is a wonder element that instantly brightens a home on a budget. Forget about spending a lot of money on redecorating. Include some side mirrors and a glass table in your dining room, and you’re done.
