What A Pane: Getting More Light Out Of A Small Window
A small window can make a room feel poky and dark. However, you needn’t pay thousands to knock a bigger hole in the wall. By playing around with the interior of the room you can get the best out of your small window.
Keep décor bright
Bright colours reflect more light. Try giving the walls a new splash of paint if they’re too dark or dull. For a living room or kitchen, consider warm colours such as yellows and beiges. For a bathroom or bedroom, consider cool but light colours such as pale blue or lime green. Alternatively, you could just stick to a fresh coat of white paint.
Make sure that your furniture also isn’t too dark. A black leather sofa or a mahogany wardrobe could be sucking the light out of the room.
Lighten up your curtains
If your curtains are too thick, they could be soaking up a lot of the light. Sites such as onlinecurtainfabrics.com have a great selection of thinner and more summery curtains that are sure to let in more rays. You can also use curtains to create the illusion that a small window is bigger. Buy a curtain rail that is wider than your actual window and then hang the curtains either side so that they just overlap the glass.
Limit obstructions
Placing a cupboard or wardrobe directly beside a small window, particularly a window in the corner of the room, could be limiting the amount of natural light into the room. This is because that cupboard/wardrobe is likely to be jutting out and acting as a barrier. You should also try to limit mantelpiece ornaments or plants. On some occasions you may be a able to remove an outside obstruction such as a tree that could be limiting light into the room.
Use mirrors
A mirror can create the illusion of another window pane when placed directly opposite a window. More mirrors will let in more light – although you probably don’t want to go overboard and turn your room into a mirror maze. You can also buy mirrored furniture such as mirrored wardrobes and cupboards.
Use other reflective items
There are other materials that have reflective properties and can allow more light into your room. In a kitchen or a bathroom, consider using chrome steel to reflect light. This could include chrome taps or a chrome steel towel rack – this site tapwarehouse.com offers some other examples of chrome accessories. If you have any crystal this can also be strategically be places within the room to reflect light (for example, some crystal glasses in a kitchen). You can also hang reflective beads that will sparkle in the light and dissipate light around the room. You can even use water to add more light – a well-placed fish tank or an indoor water fountain could help catch and reflect light off of its ripples.
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