Winter Sun, Summer Shade: Controlling Natural Light in the Home

As you know, the amount of sunlight that makes its way into your home can really affect your energy bill. Too much sunlight in the summer and you're going to have to crank up the AC. Not enough sunlight in the winter and your house will feel ten times colder. Not to mention, the longer the sun lights up your home, the less often you'll need to flick on the lamp. At the same time, you want to be able to have plenty of privacy when you want it. All things considered, you want to be able to control how much of the outside is invited in.

Choosing the right fixtures for your windows is one of the best investments you can make for you home. Not only will it pay off when your energy bill comes in each month, but the right fixtures can truly improve aesthetic and help you to achieve a certain look in your décor. Consider these three options for controlling natural light in the home.

Indoor/Outdoor Shades

Maybe you've got some shades inside the house (or maybe you don't), but have you ever considered putting a set both indoors and outdoors? Outdoor shades are nice because, by themselves, they're breezy and a little translucent. They let just the right amount of natural light in while still allowing for privacy. You can open them in the sunny afternoon when you're looking to let in more light, or close both sets of shades when you want to block out the heat and sunlight.

Horizontal Blinds

As long as you don't go for the white, plastic cheapies, blinds can look extremely chic. Take, for example, faux-wood blinds; they mesh gorgeously with any interior design scheme and are extremely customizable when it comes to letting in light and warmth. Tilt them upward to keep heat out but let light in, or open them fully to let in light and heat. Bear in mind that if you put thick, heavy blinds like those made out of faux-wood on your windows, you'll get opaque coverage that sufficiently keeps out sunlight as long as you install them closely to the window itself.

Mirrors and Colors

One problem that a lot of homes have is that all the windows are on one wall. If this is your issue, decorate with plenty of mirrors on all walls. This will help to bounce light around the room, reducing the amount of glare and dark, shadowy corners. You can also use paint of lighter colors, as it's more reflective and brightens up the room.

Solar Tubes

Though skylights are awesome, they come with a big price tag, and that's just not in the cards for some homeowners. However, you can take advantage of the full effect with the much-less-expensive solar tube. It doesn't require carving out a huge chunk of your ceiling and can even be used in the bathroom. They do a great job of distributing natural light throughout the house and have a thermal effect that can help add warmth to your home.

Warm Accents for the Cool Season: Refreshing your Home for Fall

When the temperature starts to drop, a lot of people get a little down because they know the time is coming to shut the windows, turn on the heat, and essentially hibernate for the winter. A lot of homeowners subscribe to the belief that freshening up the home is a springtime activity, but we disagree. You're going to be spending a lot of time indoors once it gets cool, so why not embrace the season and create a lively environment you in which you enjoy cozying up? You don't have to make any big changes, but a few adjustments can make your home a whole lot warmer – in both temperature and atmosphere.

Autumnal Color Pairings

Maybe you're looking to do a fresh coat of paint in the living area, or maybe you just want some new throw pillows for the couch. Either way, fall brings about some of the warmest and most beautiful color pairings. While autumn is reminiscent of brown, maroon, and golden yellow, those aren't your only options. Try for rich jewel tones, like sapphire blue, which you can pair with a bright orange for a colorful but still warm atmosphere. Aqua-green is also very trendy this season, and it pairs very nicely with navy and brown as well. If you're more into red tones, try doing a ruby red with a dark purple! You can incorporate these colors with an accent wall, accessories like lamps and photo frames, throw pillows and blankets, and even art – get creative.

Warm Textures

Don't be afraid to cozy up to some new textures this season. Swap out your linen and canvas for chunky knit blankets and suede throw pillows – you'll be surprised just how quickly they can warm up a room. Cashmere is another option, as it looks great on the couch and is super comfy on a cold day. Dark metals, like wrought iron, antique gold, and pewter, are very autumnal and very trendy right now. Try incorporating them in your fixtures and accessories.

Window Treatments

There's nothing worse than a drafty window, so keep that cold weather where it belongs: outside! Decorating your rooms with heavy drapes in the aforementioned color tones will not only warm up your room visually, but physically as well. For an even more efficient option, you could incorporate interior shutters to help trap heat in your home and keep the draft out, while still opening up to let sunlight in during the day. Try a deep cherry wood to accent the rest of the colors throughout the home.

Three Ways to Manipulate Window Treatments and Improve a Room

It's something a lot of amateur decorators don't realize, but how you present your windows makes all the difference in a room. Did you know that you can actually make your windows look bigger just by properly decorating them? And letting in enough natural light can really freshen up a room. When it comes to window treatments, you've got a lot of options, and it's tempting just to go simple. Whether you take a basic and traditional approach or want to go all out, you can still amp up any room with the right manipulations.

Create the Illusion of Bigger Windows, Higher Ceilings

Think about where your curtain rod is hung in relation to the top of the window and your ceiling. Is it hung at the same height as where the window ends? Is there blank space between there and the ceiling? Then it's time to reconsider. Move the curtain rod a bit north – quite a bit, if you've got the space. By hanging long, thin drapes from a rod placed high-up on the wall, you actually make your windows look bigger by creating long lines on the wall. This also makes the ceilings appear higher, which in turn makes the entire room appear a bit bigger. If you don't like the bare space that's visible between the curtain rod and the top of the window, then use a valance to hide it.

Interior shutters give any room sophistication.

Make Your Home Look Expensive on a Budget

We've all got an image of what our dream homes look like. Perhaps marble countertops or cherry wood floors are present in these hypothetical homes. If you just don't have the cash to do a full-on home makeover, though, you can do a makeshift one. More and more interior designers are turning to interior shutters to give homes a more expensive-looking interior. Wooden shutters play off of the other accents in your home to provide an upscale yet classic look, and best of all, they're energy efficient. They block out sunlight (and, therefore, heat) more effectively than any other type of window treatment to keep your home cooler in the summer, reducing the amount of air conditioning energy you need to use.

Give Your Home Glow with Vinyl Film

Similar to how your bathroom window is made from clouded glass, you can put vinyl film over any window in the house. This has many benefits. Firstly, it's very modern in appearance; some people find that it eliminates the need for curtains or blinds altogether, which helps you to achieve the modern look of clean lines and minimalism. Secondly, it diffuses the light a bit to give a room a nice glow, whether the sun is washing in or you've got a backdrop of city lights. Plus, it gives you privacy without "weighing down" the room. Some people think curtains or drapes take up too much visual space, so simply covering the windows with vinyl – especially larger windows – makes the room look and feel bigger.