10 Ways to Make Your House Brighter in Winter

Here are some creative ways to make your house lighter, brighter, and cheerier with more natural light indoors:

#1 Take the Screens Off Your Windows

You will get 30% more sunlight shining indoors without screens on your windows.  Sunlight warms your room and saves you money on your heating bill.

Be sure to store your screens in your garage or basement where they won’t get damaged. In the spring you will want to put them back on so you can keep that 30% of the sun out and run your cooling system less.

#2 Hang Outdoor String Lights Indoors

Drape string lights around a window or a mantel or hang a string of LED glimmer lights in a tall potted plant. They will add a layer of soft light to your room and remind you of fireflies, flip-flops, and patio parties.

#3 Lighten Your Interior

Keep interiors pale to reflect and amplify light.  Think white walls, light woods for furniture and floors, and light upholstery.  To get the look without getting rid of your dark furniture and floors, put white or light gray slipcovers on your sofa and chairs, and put down light-colored rugs.

The fastest way to bring a little light into your room is to paint it.  Try creamy white, pale blue, or dove gray.

#4 Change Your Bulbs

Replace incandescent bulbs and their yellowy light with LEDs, which produce a brighter, whiter light.

Keep these tips in mind:

• The higher the K rating on the bulb, the cooler and whiter its light.
• For cool, white light, opt for a bulb rated 3,500K to 4,100K.
• For blue-white light that is closest to natural daylight, use a bulb between 5,000K and 6,500K.

#5 Hang Mirrors

Make the most of that weak winter light by bouncing it around the room with mirrors.

If you don’t want the distraction of seeing your reflection all the time, use a large, convex one.  It will amplify light better than a flat one.  You could also try hanging a gallery wall of small mirrors.

#6 Replace Heavy Curtains With Blinds or Roman Shades

Fabric curtains, while quite insulating, block light and make a room feel smaller and more cramped, especially if they are a dark color or have a large print.

Try Roman shades or a simple valance paired with blinds to let in the maximum amount of natural light.

#7 Clean Your Windows

Dirty windows block a lot of natural light.  Clean the glass inside at least once a month and the glass outside once a year.

#8 Swap Your Solid Front Door for One With Glass Inserts

A solid front door can make your house look and feel as dark as a dungeon.  Try replacing it with a half-light
or full-light door that lets the natural light stream in.  For even more natural light, add glass sidelights and a glass transom.

Curb appeal equals higher resale value. And coming home in the evening to the warm glow of light radiating out the glass panels in your front door is an instant mood lifter.

#9 Add a Skylight

A skylight is the ultimate way to bring more natural light into your house. A window only catches sun for a couple of hours a day, but a skylight lets in the sun all day.

#10 Add Plants

Putting pots of plants around your room will remind you that spring and green will return.

Match plants to the amount of light you have.  Tropical plants that thrive in indirect light are usually the best choice. If you have a sunny window, you will have a lot more plant options.

Try adding plants that blooms in the winter, like a kaffir lily or anthurium.