Introduction
The sun isn’t always shining, so it’s important to take advantage of natural light wherever possible. This can mean anything from using lights that are more energy efficient and also look nicer, to using mirrors or skylights to bounce light around your home. If you want some ideas on how to use lighting in your home better, read on!
1. Avoid the problem
- Avoid the problem
If you think about it, we all have a tendency to overlight our homes. When we need light and want it, we tend to turn on all of the lights in the room at once—and then feel guilty about not giving ourselves enough time for sleep or reading before bedtime. In order to avoid this problem (and others), consider using natural light instead: open blinds during nice weather so that sunlight streams through; use window treatments like shades or curtains; and try placing lamps next to windows where they can be easily controlled from across a room. If you're looking for an affordable solution? Try these LED solar-powered task lights that provide bright white light without leaving any trace of heat behind!
2. Use LED light bulbs and tubes
- LED bulbs use less energy, which means they last longer and are more affordable.
- LED lights are more durable than traditional incandescent lights. Since they're made with glass, you can drop them without worry—but if you do happen to break one (and we all do), there's no need for fear of fire or electrocution as there would be with an incandescent bulb!
- You can choose from a range of colors: warm white is great for lighting up your living room or kitchen; cool white is good for accenting artwork; red works well as a side table lamp or bedside light; blue enhances any space with ease!
3. Upgrade to LED downlights
If you're looking to save money and reduce your carbon footprint, upgrading to LED downlights is a great way to do both. These lights are more energy efficient than other light sources and last much longer too. They also produce a brighter light than halogens or incandescent bulbs, so they won't need replacing as often as you might expect.
The only downside? The price tag of these lights tends to run higher than other types of lighting options. But if you're willing to spend some extra cash on something that will benefit the environment while providing long-lasting illumination all night long (and perhaps even reducing electricity costs), then this upgrade could be worth it for your home!
4. Natural lighting and windows
You can get a lot of natural light into your home with windows. Windows should be large enough to allow light in, but they should also be placed where they won’t block other rooms or obstruct the view of other rooms (if you have neighbors).
Windows that let in lots of natural light are ideal for basements and attics—places where there is little activity and no need for artificial lighting. Natural lighting will make it easier for you to enjoy reading books at night by the fireplace or watching television after dinner on those chilly nights when everyone else is already asleep!
Windows should also be designed so that they let in as much heat as possible while keeping out cold air or rain precipitation (both could damage them over time). You can do this by choosing glass panes that are thick enough not only not break easily but also help reflect solar rays onto your walls without letting too much direct sunlight enter through them during daytime hours too often."
5. Install a skylight
If you've got a flat roof, a skylight can be a great way to bring in natural light. A skylight is simply a window in the ceiling of your house and it can be used to make all kinds of rooms more comfortable. Some are made of glass and others are made of plastic or metal; some have lights, others don't.
If you're installing one for aesthetic purposes (like I did), there are several things that need to be taken into consideration before choosing where exactly it sits—it's always best if these areas are clear from obstructions such as trees or power lines so that sunlight falls directly onto them instead of being blocked by other objects nearby. You'll also want to consider how much space there is between this area and any other fixtures installed throughout your home like walls or windowsills since those surfaces may cast shadows over yours depending on their height above ground level (which varies depending upon what type/materials were used when constructing them).
6. Use a dimmer switch
To save energy and keep your lights dim at night, you can use a dimmer switch. A dimmer is a device that allows you to control the brightness of your lights. It's easy to install, and most types of lighting fixtures will work with them.
Dimmers are great because they allow users to make adjustments gradually over time as they watch their LEDs' power consumption increase or decrease over time (depending on how frequently they're used). When set at full brightness during the day, your light bulb uses more electricity than when it’s off; this means that turning down its intensity by just one degree could save about $0.06 per hour in electricity costs alone!
7. Install larger windows
- Install larger windows.
- This will allow you to enjoy more natural light, which is a great way to brighten up any room. However, it also means that your house will be more visible and susceptible to crime.
- If you're willing to make the investment in larger windows, consider adding them on both sides of your house as well as at least two additional stories above ground level (the "penthouse"). You might even want one in each corner so that no blind spot exists anywhere within sight!
8. Use mirrors to reflect light around the room
Mirrors can be used to reflect light around the room, bounce it into dark corners and even reflect it into rooms that have no natural light. Mirrors are also a great way of helping you create a more interesting look in your home by adding dimensionality and interest.
Here's how:
- Use mirrors to reflect light into rooms with low ceilings (like bedrooms) or where there's not much natural lighting coming in through windows or skylights. You could hang them above beds, on walls next to windows or along baseboards - wherever they'll be seen most often! If you have an open plan kitchen/dining area then consider hanging one above each table so that everyone can enjoy its reflection while they eat together as a family unit!
9. Use reflective surfaces to bounce light around the space
- Use reflective surfaces to bounce light around the space
Reflective surfaces are a great way to reflect light and make your room look bigger. Mirrors, like in our first tip, can be used as a sort of "walls" around your room. You could also use mirrors on the walls that aren't facing you—these would reflect even more light than regular mirrors! You could also try using a mirror ball or disco ball as an alternative option for bouncing around all of that extra light from those hard-to-reach corners of your home.
10. Take advantage of natural light in outdoor spacesTakeaway: When it comes to home lighting, it’s important to be smart about how you use it so that you save energy and money. Here are some tips
If you have an outdoor space, take advantage of natural light! Natural light can be used to brighten up your home and help it feel more welcoming. Here are some ideas:
- Use mirrors to reflect light into rooms or onto walls. This will create a sense of space, which users will appreciate when they enter the room. Mirrors can also add drama to a window wall by reflecting the outdoors onto their faces as they walk into their bedrooms at night or wake up in the morning.
- Reflective surfaces are another great way to create more brightness in your home without using traditional lights (LED downlights). They reflect sunlight back into rooms so that it doesn't have to come from outside through windows; instead there's more direct light inside where people spend most of their time during daylight hours.
Conclusion
And that’s it! We hope you found these tips helpful and will put them into practice in your home. Remember, even if you don’t follow all of these suggestions, the important thing is to start thinking about how you can improve the lighting in your space. The more time spent considering this topic, the better off you’ll be when it comes time for a new bulb or switch.
