Now that you’ve just had about enough of living in a home that sometimes feels more like a cave, you might be wondering how to increase natural light in a house – your home.
You do love your Balmain home. But since you bought it a few years ago, you’ve never really stopped looking for ways of getting natural light into a dark room – more than one way, for that matter.
If this sounds like you, this is your lucky day because we’ve put together some simple tips on brightening your Balmain peninsula home.
Opening the back of your house to the light
Opening up the back of your home to your garden usually involves replacing your rear windows and door with either contemporary sliding or bi-fold doors, or traditional French doors. We’ve even seen some spectacular garage-door-style backs that lift up with the touch of a finger. Your choice, of course, depends on the style of your home. Doing this will not only make the room brighter but also make it feel more spacious as it connects to your garden.
To maximise the amount of daylight reaching the room, opt for doors with slim framing – but only if your house has a contemporary aesthetic. Most often this involves demolition of the rear half of your home, and full-height glazing to maximise both the natural light and space. If your budget allows, you might consider a full-scale terrace renovation as well.
Adding windows where you can
Another concern is often rooms with small windows, rooms that are overshadowed and rooms without windows. Depending on how your home is sited, the solution is to add windows where possible.
However, you need to check with your local council to make sure you aren’t constrained from making any external additions. If your home is a heritage property, you might be restricted in what types of additions you can make. If your house is not a heritage home, then you can start planning for window additions.
For best results, install windows in those sections of your home that are facing east, north or west to catch more sunlight. However, especially for windows facing north or west, you should try to ensure they are shaded during summer but let in the sun during winter.
Installing skylights or tubular daylighting devices
Another excellent strategy that you can adopt to increase daylight penetration is by installing skylights and or tubular daylight devices.
A skylight installed over your staircase could bring light into both levels of your home. If your home allows, open stair risers will help daylight penetrate your home and reach lower levels.
Tubular daylighting devices (TDDs) work like mini skylights. These are actually reflective cylinders or pipes placed between the roof and ceiling of a home. These cylinders have a clear plastic dome that catches daylight, which is transported down the tubes and diffused or glazed so they produce a soft glow.
Light up your home
Of course, the tips we mentioned aren’t the only ways to bring more light into your home. But we hope these ideas will get you started on the way to enjoying a light-filled home.
Looking for help selling your home or renting your investment property? Our team at Belle Property Balmain support homeowners across Balmain, Balmain East, Birchgrove, Rozelle and Lilyfield. Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation discussion or property appraisal.
