Lighten up your home this winter

It may be dark and dreary outside, but don’t let the same be said for inside your home. Good lighting makes houses look bigger, feel warmer and helps keep the winter blues away. Here are our top tips for brightening up your property.

Maximise natural light

Make the most of any sunlight we do get by ensuring that trees aren’t blocking too much light from entering your windows, curtains and blinds are fully open, and – if you are renovating or building – that windows are large and carefully placed to catch the most light possible.

Look to the sky

Another way to make use of natural light is to consider adding skylights or solar tubes into the ceiling to allow more light in. Solar tubes, which funnel natural light down a tube from the roof, are a cheaper alternative to skylights and can work particularly well in rooms that don’t usually get much sunlight.

Two (or three) are better than one

Many large rooms in older-style homes were designed with just one central pendant light which may light up the spot over the dining room table well, but leave the corners of the room dim and shadowy. Adding a standing lamp or table lamps in the gloomier spots will give an instant lighting boost, helping the room look and feel more spacious at the same time.

LED is king

If you are updating your lighting, renovating or planning a new build, LED lighting is the way to go, according to the experts. Energy-efficient and emitting a cool, white bright light, LED lights will ensure the shadows are banished in every room, and can be used for strip lighting to brighten large spaces or spot lighting for task-oriented areas such as the kitchen.

Lights in small places

Consider adding lighting to small, dark spaces in your home such as pantries, large closets and short hallways that may not traditionally feature lights, but which otherwise may detract as dark, gloomy spots in a bright house.

Do be dim(mable)

Dimmable lights are a fabulous feature of many modern homes, allowing you to create mood lighting and adjust the brightness depending on season, time of day and activity. Invest in some dimmable lights for key areas of your home such as the lounge and dining room so you can add a little bit of light during dark days, and then crank them up once the curtains are closed to keep your home blazing bright.

Source: Harcourts NZ