I’ll always remember the 12 months my husband and I lived in a house with minimal pure mild. We have been in a short lived residing state of affairs and the house was located amidst timber that blocked the solar. The primary residing areas have been virtually at all times forged in shadows, and we at all times needed to be cautious of ice as we left the home within the winter. No solar on the entrance door meant the ice took longer to soften—so we gingerly walked round frozen patches of concrete properly into March. Because the 12 months progressed, I questioned why my temper was down greater than normal. The darkness had taken its toll on my psychological well being. As we ultimately searched for brand new residences, pure mild was the primary precedence.
I thank my fortunate stars each day that I now stay in a house drenched in daylight. Our houses ought to make us joyful, and sunshine is understood for reinforcing serotonin and lifting moods. There’s no higher feeling than strolling right into a room with daylight streaming by way of the home windows, casting mushy shadows and illuminating cozy corners. There’s a cause our beloved pets discover the small patches of sunshine to curve up below!
Whether or not you reside in a sun-soaked house or are on the lookout for methods to brighten up a dim house, bringing in mild can remodel your house. From sheer curtains to mushy palettes and an abundance of vegetation, right here’s the best way to type light-filled interiors.
picture above from our interview with Jessie De Lowe, by Michelle Nash
Set up Sheer Curtains
A room with out curtains can really feel unfinished, like one thing is lacking. A window with curtains makes an area look extra polished, intentional, and cohesive. And naturally, curtains dictate how pure mild enters a room. Consider curtains as the ultimate layer that ties every part collectively, like equipment for an outfit. Briefly: light-filled interiors want curtains.
If you wish to let sunshine into your house as an alternative of protecting it, sheer curtains filter the sunshine softly. Mild linen or gauzy cotton panels will create an ethereal, ethereal really feel and the feel will assist soften arduous surfaces like wooden flooring and furnishings. The correct curtains can remodel a room from stark and sterile to heat and welcoming straight away.
Embrace a Comfortable, Impartial Coloration Palette
Mild-filled interiors shine even brighter with colours that replicate and improve pure mild. Whereas darker colours soak up the sunshine as an alternative of reflecting it, heat neutrals will make an area really feel open and welcoming—even because the solar strikes all through the day. Sunlit rooms will naturally really feel calm, however colours like cream, taupe, and beige will simply improve these feel-good emotions.
Coloration additionally doesn’t should be fully off the desk—muted pastels like blush, sage, or mild blue will work properly whereas protecting the palette mushy.
Embellish with Vegetation
Certainly one of my prized possessions is a fiddle leaf fig I’ve had since 2019. She brings a lot magnificence to my sunny house workplace. Fiddle leaf figs are notoriously temperamental, so I’m particularly pleased with how a lot she’s grown through the years. They love the solar, and make an ideal addition to a well-lit room.
Mild-filled interiors virtually beg for vegetation. Vegetation breathe life into an area, add a pop of colour, and even enhance air high quality. A room doesn’t really feel full with out a little little bit of greenery, particularly one with nice mild. Simply make sure that the vegetation you add to your room will love direct daylight and never be overwhelmed by it. You too can be strategic on the place you place them, in case your vegetation favor extra oblique mild.
Assertion vegetation like fiddle leaf figs and olive timber look stunning in front room corners, and so they each love plenty of mild. Pothos and snake vegetation are heartier and are nice for plant newbies. Planters are additionally a chance so as to add colour and texture to your house—so decide ones that you simply discover stunning and praise your house (and the plant!).
Select Mild, Pure Supplies
I dream of getting a sunroom at some point. I’d fill it with mild wooden furnishings, a heat white cozy chair, and a woven espresso desk—very similar to Camille’s attractive sitting space in her bed room. Pure supplies and mushy textures are excellent for light-filled interiors.
Texture is every part, particularly in a room stuffed with neutrals, so go for natural supplies like linen or cotton and pair them with woven accents like wicker, rattan, or jute. These supplies lean into the calm, serene atmosphere a well-lit room naturally brings. Cumbersome furnishings will really feel heavy in an in any other case mild and recent feeling house—lighter wooden and woven accents are finest.
Maintain Decor Intentional and Minimal
Coming into a room crammed with decor and tchotchkes can really feel overstuffed and cluttered. There’s no have to pack a sunlit room with decor—let nature do the speaking. A room with pure mild will routinely make a room really feel open and ethereal. Stick to some top quality items of decor that convey you pleasure and hold litter to a minimal. A classy espresso desk ebook, a candle, framed pictures of family members or a vase of flowers are excellent. Your vegetation additionally rely as decor!
Use Mirrors Strategically
Styling mantles is usually a enjoyable design problem, and my favourite option to type them is with a big mirror. Mirrors on a mantle not solely make a wonderful focus, however they’ll additionally double the quantity of sunshine in a room by reflecting daylight. It will make your house really feel even bigger than it’s, in addition to brighter. A win-win! Place a mirror reverse or adjoining to a window for optimum brightness.
In case your house doesn’t have a mantle, or a spot for a big mirror—any reflective floor will assist bounce the sunshine. Go for mirrored trays, or an acrylic espresso desk to maintain the house feeling vibrant and balanced.
A sun-drenched house isn’t nearly aesthetics—it’s about creating an area that feels mild and recent. By incorporating sheer textures, mushy palettes, greenery, and pure supplies, you’ll be able to remodel your light-filled interiors into vibrant and welcoming retreats. So go forward and let the sunshine in!
