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Lighting is an important aspect of interior designing.

Light helps us to perform any given task comfortably and easily in the given space.

Just like color, you can choose lighting depending on the mood you want to create.

Lighting can be broadly classified into daylight and artificial light.

In this article you will see why & how daylight usage can be maximized.

Benefits of daylight

1. Humans blossom in sunlight/daylight
2. Daylight makes any space naturally full of life, soothing & inviting
3. Sunlight boosts mood with vitamin D
4. Also you can save on electricity

So wherever possible, use daylight to the fullest.

Following are few ways to get maximum daylight in the house/office,

1. Light colors for walls & ceiling

1. Light colors reflect the light & in turn make the room look bigger
2. White, crème, soft pastels like yellow, beige are good examples of this
3. Matte finish is better than gloss finish though it sounds contradictory. Matte finish will reflect the light whereas glossy paint can create glare instead of reflection
4. Once the room is properly lit with natural light then any dark color furniture can be added to create a focal point. This will give a modern look to the space

2. Curtains & Venetian blinds

1. Heavy, dark colors absorb light & make the room look darker
2. Avoid velvet or brocade fabric for curtains & go for cotton or linen
3. Instead of solid go for translucent fabric materials
4. If room has small window or lesser light then venetian blind is the best option
5. Use horizontal blinds for windows which can be deployed at night & in day time when you want sunlight, it can be rolled up
6. By doing this, light will enter through the entire glass without cutting through curtains
7. Blinds are available in different shades & colors

3. Use mirrors

Adding a mirror in a room is another good way to increase daylight in the room. 

It can be added by various ways,

1. If place is available between two windows as you can see in the pic, then keep a mirror there, which will show continuity & gives the feeling of larger window
2. You can place a mirror on the other side (opposite) of the window where reflection of the exterior view will be seen 
3. Or place a mirror anywhere in the room which will add depth to the room

In all the cases, placing a mirror in a room will give a feeling of larger space along with more light.

4. Use natural colors

Use natural colors for interiors. e.g.

1. For furniture use wooden textures, 
2. For kitchen tops natural stones like marble or granite &
3. For floors either wood or natural stones like marble & granite.
4. Add plants in the room

All these will help to absorb light better by giving the feeling of tranquility as one feels after going out in nature.

Do remember: Take care while placing bed, sofa or any other furniture.

Don’t place them near the window or glass door by which daylight may get blocked.

5. Renovation

1. If you are planning to renovate your house then replace solid walls or doors with glass doors. (consider the safety first)
2. Make space bigger. i.e. go for open kitchen, or combined dining & living room, by which ample daylight will enter in all the places

6. Cleaning the glass

1. It looks basic but most neglected & important thing to consider
2. Deep cleansing the window & door glasses will enable more sunlight to enter the room
3. So clean inside & outside with proper cleaning agent 
4. Along with more light it also gives the feeling of bigger space

7. Shiny & transparent finishes

To get more light into the room we need to consider few other things

1. Choose glass, mirror or light color for dining table, center table & wardrobe
2. Go for metallic finishes like gold, silver, brass, chrome etc. for accessories in kitchen & bathrooms to reflects more light 
3. Backsplash & tiles can be highly reflective
4. Select metallic or shiny art accessories in living or any other room
5. Use light color/ metallic finish/ mirror finish on the ceiling
6. In a room with less light, wall art piece should be small & lighter in color 
7. If you have trees or shrubs outside the house, check if they are blocking the sunlight from entering the room. Trim them if necessary.

These are some of the tips easy to inculcate & sure to benefit.

Many times natural light is not available to the fullest or want to create drama in your space, then how to use artificial light? Where to put the light sources? What are the different types?

To know more about lighting in interior design click here