The Importance of Adding Light to Interiors


Wasn’t it wonderful seeing your home in summer’s full sun-drenched glow? If, like me, you’d love to bottle that bright, vibrant feeling for duller days then read on. Guest author and interior designer at Baytree Interiors, Kirsty, has some brilliant hints for illuminating interiors without wasting a watt. 

Kirsty says: 
Yes, we’re not talking table lamps and lanterns here (although of course they have their place after dark). Instead, I’m going to share some instantaneous, yet zero-watt ways in which to add more natural light to rooms all day long. 

Choose the right colour scheme for your space 
Elegant emerald and deep-sea blue tones may be a la mode in interior design at the moment but that’s not to say they’re the right choice to add in swathes to just any area of your home. Like our bodies, we must dress our home’s unique contours in ways which accentuate and flatter. If you’re staring at gloomy hallway, alcove or corner of your home and wondering why it feels a bit “Meh.” then chances are it could use an injection of natural light. Light colours are a breath of fresh air in the home, reflecting light back into the room and delivering you a perfect canvas to dress with interesting texture and splashes of colour. They also tend to be a good choice if you want to carry colours from one room into another, which can be a great way to create the illusion of space. And don’t be tempted to skip a fresh lick of paint on those harder to reach places either - the impact of a freshly painted white ceiling should not underestimated. It’s the home’s halo. 

Mirrored furniture 
Mirrored furniture’s reflective qualities add not only light but also the illusion of space too. Its rare ability to blend in with any décor scheme, traditional or contemporary, makes it the perfect choice to mix and match in with your existing furniture. Try swapping a light-sapping item of dark furniture for a new mirrored piece and stand back to marvel at how you’ve managed to retain the same storage/functionality whilst making your room look much larger. It’s design magic, and so on on-trend too! Our store customers are always full of questions about mirrored furniture. See my How To Style Mirrored Furniture guide for more tips. 

Mirrored clocks and wall art 
As well as ringing the changes with some carefully selected items of mirrored furniture you can also steal more light with some clever accessorising at head height. It sounds obvious, but if you’re going to make the most of the natural light entering your room then you need light reflecting items at varying heights around the room to track the sun’s rise and fall throughout the day. Window mirrors are a fantastic addition for those of us who have always dreamed of having a dual-aspect room but not quite reached those #homegoals …yet! 

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Kirsty is the interior designer at Baytree Interiors. You can follow her here…