Creating a Bright and Airy Home

 

Image courtesy of Cotswoldco.com

Walking through the front door of your home should come with a sigh of relief, not a groan of disdain. That’s why it’s important to take the time to structure your home into a space that works for you and your family on a daily basis.

Designing a home that is light, bright and airy will uplift your mood and have you proud as punch to show it off to family and friends. Your house could be the social hub of your family gatherings and soirees for friends – who wouldn’t want to come over when you have a space that is clean, light and welcoming?

Plus, it’s so easy to do. Take a look at these top tips to brightening up the place you call home without breaking the bank…

The Open Plan…Plan

Having an open plan layout is excellent for improving the flow of your home and for creating as much light as possible. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking out the doors connecting one space to another or installing bifold doors to give you the versatility of closing off the area when required. A great place for folding doors is the kitchen leading onto the garden - excellent for enjoying your outdoor area.


Another step towards bright and airy living is being tidy. Mess and clutter will ruin the ambience of a space that flows well and welcomes guests. In an ideal situation, you would be able to be ruthless and streamline your life to the bare minimum, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Especially if you’re sentimental!

Purchasing furniture that fits the room and has a strong purpose is a good start. Everything in your home should fight to stay there. Under-bed storage, optimising cupboard space and any other clever ways to use your unused (and unseen) space is key. Wilko has a great and reasonably priced, storage collection for the different areas of your home so that you don’t need to resort to throwing away everything, not 100% needed. With smart storage, you can indulge, just a little, in the hoarding side of your personality.

Choosing Your Colours

There're several routes to take with the colours you choose for this look. The classic is going white or magnolia to lighten up the rooms, however, this is not always to everyone’s taste as it can feel the void of personality. A way to keep the fresh, clean look of these shades and still add a bit of your style in is with splashes of colour.

A focus wall in a light green, ice blue, coral or yellow for example is a great idea, along with picking out this colour in accessories such as cushions, pillows or table decorations to really make it stand out. Keep woodwork fresh and white to accentuate the colours you have decided on. What you put on the walls is important too. Try to keep clean lines on the walls with picture frames that are not too fussy.

Dulux has a vast palette of colours to inspire you, along with its colour match service that can copy any colour you find while out and about – on cushions, clothing, a book cover etc.

Windows A-plenty

Natural light is your best friend. In the rooms where you have plenty of it, try to enhance this by staying away from heavy materials and dark colours for your curtains and blinds. Your choices should help to enhance the light you have so it pours into every room.

Whether you have a house that doesn’t have as many windows as you’d like, you’re in a basement flat or the position of your home doesn’t attract much in the way of sunlight, these are the times when there just isn’t enough natural light coming in for your home to feel bright and airy. When adding lighting to a room, avoid harsh fluorescent lights, which don’t achieve the same feeling as natural light. Better Homes and Gardens has a great selection of tips for a well-lit home to get you started.

The last point to mention may seem a bit obvious but this is often a neglected area that can make such an impact if done regularly. Keeping your windows clean will create a clear path for natural light to flood your home. If the window cleaner doesn’t come often enough, then roll up your sleeves and get ready to clean! These tips will help to guide you in the right direction towards the streak-free glass.