Natural light is beneficial for your home environment and your health especially with the dark and dreary days of winter approaching. These decorating tips will help you to increase the amount of natural light you get inside and utilize it to its best potential.

Choose Windows That Let in the Most Natural Light
If you’re building a new home from the ground up, you have the ability to choose which windows you want to install. In this case, it’s beneficial to choose new windows that let in the most possible natural light.

Bay windows are an outstanding choice since they typically extend outward from the home and expand the amount of natural light that enters. Companies like Gilkey Windows can help customize windows to fit perfectly in your home, so even if you have awkward corners, you can get the most natural light possible.

Add Skylights
If the rooms in your upper floors seem dark, you can increase the amount of natural light you get by adding new skylights. Use your hallways or closed off bathrooms to add them in and give yourself a breath of fresh air.

A New Front Door
If you have a solid front door, you’re missing out on an opportunity to let more natural light into your home. Replace the solid front with glass that lets in an abundance of brightness from the outside.

Use Mirrors to Reflect the Existing Natural Light in the Room
Mirrors can serve more than one purpose in your home. If you’re only using them in the bedroom and bathroom to help you get dressed in the mornings, you’re missing out on the opportunity to reflect and direct the natural light in all your other rooms.

To use mirrors to their best advantage throughout your home, place them in spots where they will amplify the existing natural light; perhaps across from a sliding glass door or a prominent window. Another idea is to hang matching mirrors across from each other to amplify the light reflected even more.

Lighten Up Your Window Treatments
Get rid of any dark, heavy draperies you may have hanging around your windows. Replace them with lighter colored or sheer window treatments, or use blinds to better direct the flow of light into the room.

Choose Light and Bright Wall Colors and Wall Coverings
Dark wall colors tend to absorb and hide the light, making a room appear darker. If you want to maximize the amount of light in the room, it’s ideal to choose light colors for decorating the walls.

If you use any of these strategies in your home, you’ll be well on your way to increasing the amount of natural light you let into each room. Give yourself a brighter, healthier outlook this winter and use some of these ideas to get started on a new decorating theme.