This time of the year we crave more sunlight! Without realizing it, you may be blocking precious daylight from shining in. Here are three common light blocking mistakes that are easy to fix to let the sun shine in. I save my favorite tip for last so be sure you read to the end so you don’t miss it.
Select light colored drapery
Mistake #1: Selecting drapery in a dark accent color. If your walls are light colored, select light colored window drapes. Even if you need blackout drapes for sleeping they can be light in color. At a one time consultation the homeowner asked how to improve her living room. One of the suggestions I made was replacing the black curtains with a color that was closer to her creamy wall color. Even though black was an accent in the room, the black curtains made a stripy effect with long strips of black breaking up the room and absorbing the sunlight. She changed out the black drapes for cream colored ones and said it made such a difference. Instantly the room looked brighter.
Mistake #2: Stacking the drapery on the glass. It is simple to fix. Make sure your curtain rod is long enough that, when open, the drapes stack back off the glass only covering the window casing and wall. For a basic guide, your rod should be a minimum of 12” wider than the window glass measurement.
Its a simple fix.
Stack drapery off the glass
Remove window screens
Mistake #3: Leaving window screens on in the winter. Here is my favorite tip to let in more light - remove and store the window screens in the winter. Every fall I get my windows professionally cleaned inside and out. Instead of putting the screens for the great room back on, they get stored for the winter. The windows are clear and the sunlight sparkles. Try it in one key room, you will be amazed at the difference it makes.