How to use Natural Light in your Home

A collaboration with interiors and DIY blogger Karen Clough, of 'Well I Guess This Is Growing Up'

Have you noticed it yet? That soft warm glow of the sunshine hitting the curtains as the morning breaks? Or perhaps you’ve sat down for your evening meal and thought that it doesn’t feel quite so dark today. 

The light is at the end of the tunnel – literally - with Spring just a hop, skip and a jump away. 

With the clocks set to jump forward in a matter of weeks, it’s time to embrace that glimmer of sunshine – and not just sat in a sun lounger.

Spring is traditionally the time of year we review the state of our homes and offer it a new lease of life through a deep clean, and a reshuffle of our interiors. Below are some top tips to maximising those gorgeous rays. 

Deep Clean Your Glass

It might sound obvious but wiping away any dust and giving glass surfaces a clean will be the biggest improvement you can make. Sun is quite unforgiving on smudges and the remnants of sticky toddler hands. But don’t believe it’s all about elbow grease. Instead, opt for filtered water to do the job, with a touch of vinegar for the ultimate clean. The cleaner your water, the less streaky your end result will be. 

Create Focus in South Facing Rooms

Many homes will have south facing rooms which will receive a lot of direct sunlight – sounds wonderful, but can actually be quite a bother thanks to excessive glare. In these spaces, opt for fabric-based blinds over wooden versions to allow the glow of sun to shine through in a non-invasive way. Tilt them in a way that the rays don’t come into direct contact with televisions, mirrors or eyelines to avoid that glare. 

Dress Your Windows 

Shadows don’t always equal darkness – they come hand in hand with the warm sunny spells. Even in the most bright of spaces, subtle shadow hints can create stunning shapes and create interest to an otherwise one-dimensional area. Adding plants can do this in a really natural and non-intrusive way – just make sure the plants you choose are appropriate for that amount of sunlight, and if you’re not sure, faux flowers are now looking more real than ever. 

Position Your Eating Spaces

Where possible, keep your dining spaces or breakfast bars full of light. Whether that’s positioning your table by a window, or just arranging your seating in a way that you can view the dewy grass outside shimmer in the sun. Time and time again, studies show just how much of a mood booster the sunshine is. If you can take some of that in first thing in the morning with your breakfast, you can indirectly give yourself a chirpy start to the day.  

Neutralise The Overly Bright Spaces

For those fortunate enough to have a conservatory or orangery – or for that matter any space with floods of light – it can be difficult to neutralise that starkness of direct sunshine. White is often the first colour choice for keeping the space bright through glossy skirting and trims, but don’t neglect warm woods to help give a more natural feel to what can often feel an artificial interior.

Guest post, by blogger Karen Clough of Well I Guess This Is Growing Up.