Natural light is all the rage in home design and decor these days. Now that we’re getting less sunlight per day, it’s a good time to think about how to keep homes looking bright, airy, warm and welcome all year long.
Using natural light as a form of decoration doesn’t require time at a retail store or scrolling through online-shopping and home-styling websites. Nor do many other room-brightening ideas for your new construction home.
All that’s required is a few conversations with the builder and then letting them do their magic on windows, ceiling enhancements and custom lighting options. And with some new homes, the builder’s standard lighting options may be just the solution for balanced light throughout each living space.
When it comes to lightness and brightness, people who are considering new construction homes are in great luck. Let’s start with the construction and installation of doors and windows.
Depending on style preferences, consider adding windows to the doorways themselves. Discuss options for decorative inlaid glass on any part of the front door. The standard front door position may even offer the option for one or more panels of side lights, which are narrow windows positioned vertically along the door.
Not wild about windows on the door? Those who prefer more privacy can ask the builder if space allows for a window under the roofline directly above the front door. Another alternative is to request a skylight positioned on the ceiling inside the door or above a staircase.
Also look closely at the floor plan’s orientation relative to sun exposure. Now choose rooms where you might want custom windows or doors. These might include French doors to the outside from a main-level bedroom or a set of frameless, stacking glass doors as an alternative to standard sliding glass doors off the great room.
It may be that the sitting area of the primary suite or the home office might warrant some extra light from the outside. Ask about options for bay windows in certain areas of the home.
Tip: With any window changes or additions aside from the standard plan, be sure to make requests before vertical construction and framing of doorways. Doing so will help everyone avoid change orders.
The same is true of any custom electrical work. Some custom lighting fixtures may require different installation techniques or a different type of electrical box.
Fortunately, every new construction home in California is built for solar power, given the state’s goal of achieving net-zero energy consumption in residences. Builders in California now use well-sealed, low-emissivity windows.
Combined, those two building techniques mean that new-home owners can have light and comfort without compromising energy costs or contentment.
Larger windows than those in older homes will let in more natural light while maintaining interior air quality and temperature. Meanwhile, some costs of custom lighting will be covered by the home’s collection of solar energy.
Other ways to brighten up a home include adding mirrors as art or adding texture to ceilings in certain rooms. Rather than mirrors that are used for vanity purposes, consider ways that mirrors can best reflect light.
For best results, plan to hang mirrors on walls that are at angles to windows, not on the same wall as windows. Then measure the wall space relative to the window that’s at a 90-degree angle from it and choose a mirror that provides a good balance in size.
Framed mirrors come in a variety of shapes and styles, from simplistic to ornate, from farmhouse to traditional. Choose styles that complement the design and furniture styles of the rooms in which they will hang and that give the desired impression, whether bold or subdued.
Next, look up. Ask the builder about options for coffered or box-beam ceilings. These may add new dimension to larger rooms, especially when accented with recessed lighting.
