Let the Sunshine In: Designer tricks for maximizing light in your home

Who isn’t ready for the sunshine? I don’t know about you, but by this time of year, I’m eager for warmer weather. For me, sunshine means that I get to open the pool, put on some flip-flops, plant some seeds, and watch them grow. Clinical studies show that sunshine, a major source of Vitamin D, is also a proven winner for enhancing mood. There is an entire industry for light therapy out there! Living in a world of uncertainty, stress, and the effects of global warming(It’s April, and we’ve had snow three times this month), a little bit of light-enhanced-mood-lifting is welcome.

Here are some ways designers use to bring the sunshine indoors.

1. Paint

LRV: I feel like I drill this one home a lot. I’ve written blog posts, given interviews and have done talks regarding design, and ALL of them will touch on the importance of colour, tone and hue. In the context of this post, I’m referring to the paint that goes on your wall. Colour behaves a certain way when it interacts with light. Every colour out there has an undertone and a number attached to it called a “Light Reflectance Value” also known as an LRV. This number is VERY important. It measures how much light a colour will reflect. The lower the LRV number, the less the light will reflect it. Black, for example, has an LRV of 0%, whereas Pure White will have an LRV of 100%. So, if you are looking to brighten up your space, paint your walls with a colour that has a high LRV.

LRV Calculator

Undertone: This is also VERY important when it comes to what you put on your walls. Have you ever picked up a paint chip and painted your walls with the colour on the chip only to realize that the colour is not what you intended? This is why the undertone is important. Light, real or artificial, has a funny way of bringing out the best AND the worst in a colour. Every Design Board meeting I go to, I always front load that the colour on the chip will read differently in their space. Something that looks beige on a chip can read as white in a south-facing room with lots of windows. Likewise, if you chose a light colour for a south-facing room, the “colour” might get washed out! The undertone of colour will reflect a certain way based on how much light is coming into your space and where the light is coming from. Have you ever had your picture taken from a certain angle only to have you captured as shorter, wider, taller or thinner?  I’m sure we can all relate to this. The same goes for colour. Picture the Sun as the camera and the colour as you. If the sun comes through your window at a certain time of day at a certain angle and brings out something you didn’t intend for it to do, it can be super annoying to look at.

Both of These Colours are the same Cloud White by Benjamine Moore. It reflects differently depending on how much light is coming into the space and from what angle.

Pro Tip: Hire an Interior Designer. When I’m at a consult, I’m acutely aware of the amount of light coming into a space. It immediately narrows down the light reflectance value range I’d suggest for the walls and what colours I’d steer clear from because of the undertone. It also will surface in my mind what colours would behave well in that space and why. Hiring someone who nerds out on LRV and undertone is money well spent. After all, you’ll be looking at and living in that colour. It's a good idea to get it right the first time. 

Image of Me on my Summerhill Job

2. Mirrors & Glass

Mirrors bounce light around, creating more of it. If you have a room with very little natural light, consider adding some decorative mirrors. It’s amazing how a mirror can reflect what you want it to. I once designed a condo bathroom with no windows, so we had to be strategic about making the space feel brighter, and we decided to place oversized mirrors above the vanity. Glass can achieve this effect as well. Think about how light behaves when it interacts with a chandelier or a round-cut diamond. Mirrors and glass are excellent ways to play with light.

Image from my Upper Madison Project

Pro Tip: I am not suggesting you turn your house into a “fun house,” but I do recommend placing a mirror or two strategically in a space to help direct light where you want it to go. If you’re not into traditional chandeliers for lighting, there are many stylish options available now that are less glitzy.

3. Finishes

Surfaces can exhibit various sheen levels. There are paints available in different sheens, in addition to tiles and countertops. Referring back to the condo bathroom with no windows, I intentionally chose glossy tiles for the floors, ceiling, and walls to enhance light reflection. It’s remarkable how bright and airy the space felt after the renovation was completed.

Finishes are important. Kind of like a mirror, a higher sheen level of a surface has the power to redirect whatever light it interacts with. How cool is that!

Pro Tip: Try Painting your ceiling in a high gloss sheen. It can create a reflective, shiny, and luxurious visual effect, making the room appear brighter, larger, and more visually interesting. Note: High gloss sheens can bring out imperfections so proceed with caution. 

Image from Williams Professional Painting

4. Greenery

This tip is not as obvious as the above-mentioned tips. Greenery doesn’t behave with light the way a colour or a reflective surface does, but it does breathe life into a space…literally. If it’s real, it literally helps with oxygen. If it’s artificial, it is visually life-giving. It’s amazing how visual cues of greenery can make you feel like the sun is shining. Real Greenery needs some portion of the sun to thrive, and it is kind of like a placebo effect, seeing it in your home can make you feel like the sun is present. Weird right? Yes, it’s true. Seeing things that typically thrive outdoors thrive inside helps bring the outside in.

Image from my Morrison job

Pro Tip: Greenery is a great way to fill up a space. Opt for trees or taller greenery for corners and floors. If you are into formal design, opt for boxwood, hydrangeas and white tulips. If your style is more casual, consider hanging plants that are spillers or larger leaf stems.

Spring is often a time to reset for people. There is something about the sun that can feel life-changing after a long, cold winter. If the sun has proven mood-enhancing qualities, it’s worth knowing how we can bring some of that indoors! In an uncertain, stressful world, I can say with CERTAINTY that more sunshine is good for the human soul.