We are really lucky in our little bungalow by the sea. It’s a lovely big space with two huge windows in the front room and a fair sized one in the back, so it’s always nice and light in here – great when you’re always taking photos! Having lots of natural light really helps to lift my mood. We’ve not always been so lucky though – we’ve lived in a couple of houses that have been really dark and dingy – terraced houses are the worst! One house that we lived in had just two small windows downstairs. It felt like we were in a cave sometimes.

Light is something that you can create if you’re a bit clever. Whilst in some houses you’re never going to have a tonne of natural light, you can sometimes fake it. Here are 5 ways you can create light in your home.

Use light colours

This might be stating the obvious to most people, but not to some of the people who have lived in the houses we’ve lived in before us. Painting the walls, ceilings and woodwork a nice bright and light colour really open a room up, even if there is little natural light. Like I said, our bungalow has lots of natural light, but the people who last decorated it didn’t make the most of it. The walls were all dark (who on earth paints a room dark grey and navy?!) and the woodwork was all dark brown. We have painted the walls a lovely bright and clean magnolia – boring but fresh and bright, replaced the dark wood window sills with white UVPC ones and painted the skirting boards and door white. It makes it look even brighter in here now.

Use mirrors

Hanging a mirror in a room that is dark not only creates a sense of light but space as well. It reflects any light coming into the room, making it even brighter. Think carefully about where you put it – ours is on the wall opposite our two big windows.

Window decorations

Getting rid of any big heavy curtains or net curtains can add a lot of light to the room. We do have dark coloured curtains but in the daytime, they are pushed right open to maximise the light coming in. We have net curtains on our dining room window (the window is blown inside slightly and looks a bit naff at the moment, net curtains hide it!) not only do they look fussy but it does reduce the light somewhat.

Forcefully create light

Not possible in every house, especially rented ones, but if you can add a window somewhere, do it! Attic or loft rooms and extensions tend to be some of the worst rooms for natural light, but it’s easy to create light with Solstro. Especially, if you’d combine them.  

Think about your flooring

Carpet doesn’t reflect light at all, but a polished floor surface, whether it’s wood, tile or stone, will bounce light around the room. Moreover, you should ask yourself if it should be a light or dark floor. If you did want some carpet down for comfort, try using rugs or runners instead.

What are your top tips for creating a sense of light in your house?