Glasgow homes – 5 ways to increase your natural light

Light up your home with the best source of natural light – the sun!

One thing that Glasgow homes can suffer from is lack of natural light. Adding lamps only seems to run up your ‘leccy bill, while giving you the feeling it’s nighttime. Fight back against Seasonal Affective Disorder (with the appropriate acronym SAD)! Use these home tips to brighten up your home and your life.

Crystal clear

We’re heading out of a horrible winter, and one thing that does build up for Glasgow homes is grime on windows. Clean your panes with either a specialised cleaning product or use a little soapy water followed by a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water to remove dirt and leave a streak-free shine! The difference will amaze you.

(Please remember to be safe at all time when cleaning high windows.)

Glass internal doors

Replacing wooden doors to communal rooms like the living room with glass doors (like the kind you can find at Direct Doors) can allow light to travel through your house. So when it’s sunny in the front room, that can stream into the back.

(Please think about adding stickers or decals at eye height, especially when small children are about, to prevent people walking face-first into a glass door!)

Mirror, mirror

Using a mirror to bounce light about your room is an old trick that also makes your rooms appear bigger. But have you considered that the reflective properties of other surfaces can have the same effect? Lighter wooden and laminate floorings can bounce light waves, where carpet absorbs. Lighter-coloured furniture, paint or wallpaper, or any surface that has a light sheen can also do the job of reflecting the rays around a room.

(But do check these beautiful mirrors out at Swoon.)

It might be tempting to paint everything white to increase the reflective index of your walls, but in Glasgow homes, this can be slightly self-defeating. Brilliant white can feel cold, not the best outcome. So, instead choose from one of the many near-white shades that go towards colours like apple, heather, or grey.

Double up

For those of us with a ground floor window that faces onto a street, having a bare window can be uncomfortable This is especially true when pedestrians’ line of sight looks right into where you want to relax. At night, it’s even worse, you feel like a goldfish in an aquarium. But putting up thick curtains will also blot out the sun in the daytime. The solution? Two sets of curtains.

Use a gauze or netted curtain flush to the window pane for daytime light. It only needs to disrupt sightlines so even a lacy type will work. Then employ a thicker set of curtains for the evening. If it is your bedroom, choose a set that will blackout light if there are streetlamps nearby. This will also help you get to sleep!

Extreme measures for Glasgow homes

You may have to resort to expanding your windows if you have permission to make structural changes to your property. Glasgow homes often have a kitchen tucked away at the back of the house, with tiny windows, if any. Making these bigger is a costly task, but one which may your home feel bigger and better.

(Stick some double-glazing in while you’re at it!)

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