Did you know that potential homebuyers would willingly pay a whopping £20’000 above the asking price for a property bathed in natural light?
It’s easy to see why. Regular exposure to the good stuff increases your Vitamin D intake, fights off seasonal depression and improves sleep, amongst a whole host of other benefits. And the good news? These benefits are enjoyed even if your natural light exposure occurs indoors.
And that’s before we consider natural light’s hugely positive impact on productivity. A 2018 study conducted by professor Alan Hedge of Cornell University and reported on by PR Newswire found that ‘’optimizing the amount of natural light in an office significantly improves health and wellness among workers, leading to gains in productivity’’.
No wonder, then, that so many recent home working converts are doing all they can to improve the flow of theirs. If you’re keen to do the same, then you’ve come to the right place; here are 7 top tips on how to boost the natural light in your home office.
ENSURE YOUR WINDOWS ARE SUPER CLEAN
If all the tips were this easy, affordable and straightforward, then we’d probably be out of a job. Because one of the most simple ways to improve the natural light in your home office is to ensure any windows are sparkling clean and as see-through as they possibly can be.
Accumulation of dirt, fingerprints, salt (if you live by the sea), steam, grease, and even incorrectly applied window cleaning products can all obscure natural light from flowing freely into your home office. So, for a quickfire way to boost the room’s brightness and your productivity in tandem, make sure your windows are blemish free. Tidy window, tidy mind, as they should say.
Read: 5 home office design hacks for better productivity
INTRODUCE A NEW SOURCE OF NATURAL LIGHT
From the most humble tip to the most all-encompassing…
If you foresee working at home becoming a permanent fixture and you’re truly devoted to making your home office as productive a space as possible, then you should consider adding a whole new source of natural light…should your budget allow it, of course.
Although knocking through a section of wall or installing a new window is a big job, make no mistake, it also represents a smart move in the long run. The experts at Blackthorn Timber Windows, who offer made to measure windows, conservatories and patio doors, suggest that whilst the investment in a whole new window will inevitably be large, you will likely end up adding value to your home via the addition of more natural light (remember that 20K we mentioned earlier?).
DRESS YOUR WINDOWS SMARTLY
To make the most of natural light in your home office, it’s essential that you consider the way you dress your windows, too. Though some management of glare and flare is necessary, particularly if you’re staring into a screen all day, it’s best you avoid curtains in your home office, as they tend to obscure a fair bit of natural light.
Instead, opt for blinds or shutters, the latter of which allows you to fully expose the windows when needed by simply folding back the shutter panels, providing maximum natural light whilst still retaining a certain level of privacy and glare management. Alternatively, the high functionality of Venetian blinds makes them a prudent choice, too.
Read: 5 top tips for finding the right blinds for your home
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL
Hanging a mirror opposite the primary source of natural light in your home office is a neat trick to make the room feel bigger and, most importantly, brighter. This is because mirrors help reflect natural light and bounce it around the room in a surprisingly subtle but observable way.
Whilst we wouldn’t want you to turn your home office into a house of mirrors (seeing your face from every angle certainly wouldn’t help productivity, however beautiful it is), hanging another mirror adjacent to a window can further enhance the flow of natural light.
Consider other reflective room features, too, such as glass tiles, glass fronted picture frames and ornaments and sculptures possessing of a certain shine.
MAKE ROOM FOR MINIMALISM
Let’s put things simply, in the spirit of minimalism; clutter blocks the flow of natural light. Particularly important for items placed close to the window or in front of it, make sure that you don’t have anything in your home office directly in front of your windows as they can obstruct light and make the room feel dingy.
This doesn’t only apply to that stack of books you can’t find a home for, but also to bulkier pieces, such as furniture, desks and computers.
Of course, keeping your home office tidy, neat and with everything in its right place will also help you maintain that bright and breezy feeling, too. Check out these tips on decluttering and self storage for more advice on doing just that.
PAINT YOUR WALLS & CEILING A BRIGHT, HIGH GLOSS SHADE
Another way to increase the amount of natural light in your home office is to give the room a lick of light paint, ideally using an off-white, high gloss paint. Lighter coloured walls are brilliant at bouncing natural light around the room and opting for high gloss means your walls will possess a sheen that is more reflective and mirror-like.
If you’re not keen on painting the whole room a stark, bright colour, then prioritise those windows opposite and adjacent to the chief source of natural light in the room.
Should you have eaves hanging above your windows on the exterior of your home office, then paint them white, too, as they reflect natural light into the home, from the outside in.
LOSE THE CARPET
A darkly coloured carpet in your home office will likely soak up all that natural light you’ve been working so hard to welcome inside. If you’re serious about brightening the room up as comprehensively as possible, then a lighter shade below foot is ideal.
The best option here is to lose the carpet entirely and embrace the floorboards beneath. Should they be a darker shade than perhaps you’d like, fear not; it’s eminently possible to lighten up your floorboards. Sand them down thoroughly first, then apply a bleach or stain for that blonde wood flooring effect which brightens up a room instantly.