Daylight and Design – Why is it Important to Bring Natural Light into House Design?

Over the past couple of years, thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, we have all realised just how important our home spaces are in our lives. They’re where we eat, sleep and socialise with our families. They’re our sanctuary of calm amidst a chaotic world. Put simply, they’re our homes.

But if those past couple of years of being cooped up taught us anything, it was the importance of natural light in our homes, and why getting an ample amount of natural light is critical – not only in relation to the aesthetics of a home, but from a wellbeing perspective, too.

NATURAL LIGHT IMPACTS UPON OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

We’re living in an era of increased mental health awareness, and it’s a good job, too, given that 1 in 8 people globally are thought to suffer from a mental health condition, according to the World Health Organisation.

What you might not have realised, however, is that exposure to natural light (or a lack thereof) can also drastically impact upon our mental health. Increased exposure to natural light increases our bodies’ production of serotonin, often referred to as the body’s ‘feel-good’ hormone.

So, in introducing more natural light into your house design (with the addition of a Stella rooflight, for instance) you’re also helping your body’s physiology, making you feel better in the process.

MAKE YOUR HOME A PLACE YOU WANT TO LIVE IN

It sounds obvious, but if your home is where you spend most of your time (besides work) then it’s only natural that you’d want to make it as perfect as possible. Bizarrely, however, many people settle for dark, cramped spaces, rather than opening up their homes with as much natural light as possible.

There are few (if any) home decors that don’t suit being bathed in natural light, with even the darkest of colour palettes being able to benefit from some sunshine shining in to enhance their dark hues.

In the same way that the addition of mirrors can make a room feel larger, a well-lit room naturally feels more spacious than one with no (or little) natural light entering it. So, if you’re looking to optimise the space you have – and particularly if you’ve got a smaller property – then flooding it with natural light is one of the best things you can do.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, there you have it – bringing natural light into house design is important for two major reasons. Firstly, a well-lit space is typically a more inviting, aesthetically-pleasing space than a room that’s poorly-lit. And secondly, the more natural light we can bring into our home, the more our mental health benefits as a result. And that’s something we should all be encouraging.

To find out more about our range of rooflights, to help introduce more of that natural light at home – click here.

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