Having as much natural light as possible is the number one feature people look for when buying or building their family home. By flooding your home with natural light you create a space that feels bigger and brighter, and research also shows the link between natural light and well-being. At XUL Architecture our aim is to bring as much natural light into architecture as possible. Here are our top 7 ways you can get more natural light into your home.
1. Skylights
An extension isn’t the only place you can have a skylight! You can place one over staircases.
On 1st-floor hallways. And over light shafts.
This tunnel has a skylight at the top of the 1st-floor bringing light down two floors all the way to the basement. As well as bringing in light, it helps to physically connect the spaces. An LED channel reinforces the vertical space running all the way through.
2. Walk-on Skylights
Strip skylight on 1st-floor terrace. (Look at effect of strip skylight bringing light behind piano). XUL office, bringing in light to the office space in the basement. Exterior glass louvres over basement courtyard. From inside, bright basement with external courtyard to the front of the property. Glass louvres provide light and natural ventilation.
3. Light one step removed
Consider bringing light from other bright spaces if you don’t have access to external walls. This bathroom is on the 1st-floor and not on an external wall. The stained glass brings in beautiful light from the bright staircase. Light is brought into the kitchen and everyday dining by perforating the wall. Glass shelves allow the light through.
4. Use of mirrors
Using mirrors to reflect light much like the Sir John Soanne Museum in London. Mirrors can be used to bring light into a room and can create interesting spaces and reflections.
The Lived-In Look. Breakfast Room detail – Sir John Soane House, London.
Sir John Soanne has some wonderful examples of this, where you sometimes don’t know if you are looking at a mirror or glass.
Similarly, in one of our projects, a mirror is used on a door to brighten an otherwise dark entrance lobby. The reflective material on the cloak cupboard also enhances the effect.
The 4 sided recessed mirror works hand in hand with the skylight, allowing even more natural light to be reflected into the bathroom.
5. Shapes and patterns
By using different shapes and cladding materials you can create stunning effects as light changes during the day. These bespoke cone-shaped skylights pull light right into the space. The stainless steel cladding reflects light in wonderful soft patterns so there is never a greenhouse feel to the space.
