natural light house

Five Reasons to Have More Natural Light in Your Home

Even if we can’t put our finger on why most of us have a sense that it’s always good to get a healthy dose of sunlight. It’s nice to go outside on a sunny day or to bask in some rays while sitting in your home sunroom, and nice sunny days just make us feel better than gross cloudy ones. The good news is that this isn’t just a hunch. Researchers have shown that sunlight in the home is incredibly beneficial to us and not necessarily for the reasons you think. Here are five reasons to have more natural light in your home.  

Natural Light Improves Health

Exposure to sunlight actually helps our bodies produce Vitamin D, a vitamin that promotes healthy bone growth and helps to prevent osteoporosis later on down the road. The health benefits don’t stop there. Sunlight has been linked to good moods, healthy skin, and even cancer prevention. The theory behind sunlight and positivity is that exposure to natural light prompts our bodies to produce Serotonin, a hormone that’s associated with positive thinking and feeling calm. Getting enough Vitamin D is especially important considering 42 percent of Americans suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency. Although scientists are still discovering the full extent of the benefits sunlight provides, there can be no doubt that having more natural light in your home is great for your health.  

Sunlight Makes Us More Productive

On top of studying how natural light impacts health, scientists are also really interested in the effect that sunlight has on how we work. It shouldn’t be any surprise at this point, but the results across the board show that sunlight makes us more productive. A government study on sunlight and worker productivity concluded that “natural light has proved to be beneficial for the health, productivity, and safety of building occupants.” These findings don’t just apply to the workplace. Whether it’s cleaning your home, making lunch, or working out of your home office, having a sunlit window nearby will help you work harder and happier.  

Natural Light Makes Rooms More Spacious

Imagine two rooms in a home. Both are exactly the same size, but one is bordered with open, airy windows on two walls, and the other is completely boxed in. The sunny, windowed room is going to feel more spacious every time. This is because instead of using hard visual barriers like opaque walls, this sunlit room looks like it opens up to the outdoors. If you ever feel boxed in in your home, consider installing bay or bow windows, especially in windowless rooms, to help open everything up.  

The Sun is Free

The average monthly energy bill for New Yorkers is $111. If you’ve gotten your energy audit back recently and you’re not happy with the results, opening up your house to more natural light is a great way to cut down on your electricity use. Turning off the lights during the day and getting by on all that sunlight pouring in through your windows is one way to save, but the benefits don’t stop there. Lots of people don’t consider how sunlight can warm your home during the Winter. We can definitely use the help with our chilly New York winters.  

Good Lighting Makes Everything Look Better

If you’re not showing off your interior decorating under bright sunlight, you’re not getting the full effect. Rooms without sufficient lighting look dreary and poorly decorated. Sunlight can help a room’s look pop out at guests. There’s no contest when it comes to natural light. Filling your home with the sun is a great idea no matter how you slice it.