Three Ways to Invite Natural Light into your Home

Luxury house hunters typically have a very specific wish list that includes must-haves based on their lifestyle.

Some buyers desire a wine cellar, others want an RV garage and most want a beautiful view. But the one wish list item that is on virtually every luxury buyer’s list is an abundance of natural light. Planning to sell your home in the near future? If your home tends to be dark and brooding, rather than bright and happy, here are some ways to lighten the mood: 1. ARCHITECTURAL CHANGES Often simple architectural changes designed to let in more light can make a tremendous difference. The addition of a handful of skylights and/or solar tubes can be transformative! For those wanting to make more of an impact, there are unlimited options for redesigning and expanding existing windows and doors. Adding a series of clerestory windows or replacing a solid door with a lovely French door, for example, can turn a formerly gloomy space into a sunny haven. 2. WINDOW COVERING CHANGES Naturally there are rooms in the house that warrant dark window coverings based on the function of the space. But many rooms can benefit from an infusion of natural light, and fortunately there are numerous options to accommodate a wide range of privacy and light-filtering preferences.

From privacy sheers to topdown/bottom-up shades to zebra shades — so many enlightening choices! 3. DÉCOR AND FURNISHING CHANGES Dark flooring, dark furniture, dark cabinets, dark granite, dark rugs, dark paint — dark, dark, dark. If your interior design tastes tend to go to the dark side, it’s especially important to find a way to incorporate as much natural light as possible into your environment

by Gwen Holloway and Elena Sanwick, REALTORS®, LUXE Real Estate Group – Luxury Prescott — otherwise, as beautiful as the room may be, it’s often going to be imposing and somber. While that energy may be ideal for a study or theater room, consider a lighter wall paint color, and/or adding a glass table, a crystal chandelier, some lighter-hued pillows, or a wellplaced mirror in common living areas to spread the sunshine. Placing an emphasis on the importance of natural light is obviously much easier during the design and building process, but inviting more light into an existing structure will result in brighter days whether you plan to sell your home or stay in it forever.