Daylight savings time is just about over. Now’s as good a time as any to take a look at your home’s lighting!
As daylight savings time comes to an end and the days continue to grow shorter, you’ll want to evaluate your home’s lighting. Brightening your interior, illuminating your exterior for safety, and even making a few simple décor changes can make the transition to the winter season a bit easier for your household. Here are a few tips and simple projects in and around your home you can complete this weekend!
Promoting Natural Light
Let the sunshine in! Windows provide natural light year round, but due to the angle of the sun and the shorter days of winter, you’ll feel its impact less in the coming months. Though you’ll be more reliant on artificial light though the winter, there are a few key strategies that promote natural light finding its way inside. Consider washing your windows and removing the screens. You’ll be surprised by how much more direct sunlight you’ll gain. Outside, trees and shrubs can effectively cool your home in the summer, but you’ll want to prune any overgrowth that prevents light from reaching your windows.
Simple Fixes
There are a variety of décor changes that can make a huge difference in the amount of light in your home as well. Pay careful attention to the placement of lamps and furniture (don’t let big pieces block light from your windows) and rearrange to maximize light. During the day, keep shades and blinds open, and consider lightening up window treatments for the season. Daylight LED bulbs can also make a big impact and save energy as well – utilize them not only inside but outside as well, on the pathways you walk every day. Lastly, placing a few key interior and exterior lights on timers ensures you never come home to a completely dark house.
Forward Thinking
When building your new custom home or remodeling your existing home, it is wise to consider structural items that can make for a brighter home. Direction can play an important role in new construction, so be sure to take advantage of your exposure when it comes to room and window placement. Open concept designs, lighter woods and cabinetry, plus soft, neutral paint tones go a long way to keeping a home feeling bright. Your selection of light fixtures requires a well thought out electrical plan that incorporates and layers both natural and ambient light. If a finished basement is on your wish list, look for a home site that allows for a walk-out exit and add as many windows as you can afford while the home is under construction, even if finishing the space is a future project.
Enhance your Home Lighting with Columbia Builders
Columbia Builders is the home builder of choice in Howard County, offering homes in Ellicott City, Elkridge, Laurel, Columbia, Marriottsville, Fulton, Clarksville, Dayton, and Brookeville. No matter what the size and scope of your project, we have the skills, experience, and resources needed to bring your vision to life. We offer a level of customization that is truly unmatched and are committed to using materials and craftsmen of the highest quality, so you can trust that your new home is built to last.
If you’re ready to invest in a home that is built with your needs in mind, trust in us. Give Columbia Builders a call today at 410-730-0215 or use our contact form here. You can also keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Houzz, and Youtube, and don’t forget to check back on our blog for more tips and information!