Trends come and go, but one thing is always true: Lighting is important. The amount and type of light that your home has will impact how well you can live within it, the way it looks, and how much your utility bills will be. At Half Price Drapes, we’ve been interested in a new trend that’s gaining some traction: Highlighting.
Highlighting is the cheapest way to light your home
Highlighting, otherwise known as daylighting, is a way to light your room with only natural light. This is done during the day, obviously, and helps to get all the illumination you need from the sun instead of using electricity.
The most important aspect is getting the right window treatments
Success in daylighting depends almost entirely on what type of window treatments you choose. You want curtains that can be opened all the way so that sunlight can stream in. You also want to take advantage of the parts of the room that get the most direct sunlight.
Use blinds and other window dressings to direct light
There will be areas of a room that need more help than others. One thing you can do is choose blinds or window shades that can be adjusted to help light in where you need it. By simply tilting them correctly, or opening them a certain amount, you can help get the sunlight right where you need it.
Reduce your bills in a number of ways
There are several ways that the right amount of daylighting or highlighting can help lower your utility bills. First of all, they will lower your need to use other types of lighting. This can make a big impact and that’s doubly true for homes that use older lights instead of today’s LED bulbs. The right window treatments can also allow the sun to come in during the winter months and warm the room naturally – which lowers your heating costs.
Use your window coverings to benefit your home even when the sun is down
Window coverings help get daylight where you want it, but they can help with indoor lighting too. Choose light or white window coverings and close them at night. If you do so, then the white will reflect the lighting back into the room. The result will be a home that feels much brighter at night – and during the day.