DESIGN NOTES
Health and wellness are a high priority for many today, especially in the home, which is why interior designers are placing a great emphasis on the renovation or remodel plans for the home. Natural light brings a wealth of benefits for your family and also gives the home a beautiful warmth. We want to share some reasons why you should consider designing with light and give some tips on how to do it.
Bringing The Outdoors In
It is safe to say that we spend more time indoors than out since most of us work indoors and get home after dark. This means we can suffer from a lack of vitamin D, something essential to the well-being of everyone in the family. By allowing more natural light into the home, you can bring a little sunshine in, which means you need to focus on the areas where you spend the most time, such as the office or kitchen. Light is an important element in the design, so be sure to talk with your designer about how to bring more light into your favorite home spaces. See a mountain retreat that utilizes natural light.
Beat The Winter Blues
While winter is a beautiful season, it is no secret that it also comes with shorter daylight hours. Lack of sunlight is known to heighten the chance of depression, so it is important to make sure there are plenty of areas in the home that have natural light. Consider having a sunroom, or multiple windows in the kitchen or living room. Nothing chases away the blues like a bright spot in the home.
Natural Light Increases Productivity
For those who work from home, it can be difficult to stay motivated, especially if your home office has no windows or is poorly lit. It can feel like you are trying to operate in a fog. Allowing natural light into a workspace increases your ability to focus and helps you become more productive. This is also important to remember with children who have homework; by the end of the day, they are feeling tired from all that’s gone on, so it’s helpful if they can have a place to do their assignments, making sure they stay on track.
Natural Light Design Tips
It’s important for the wellness of your family that you incorporate natural light into the design of your home. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
- Mirrors: Sometimes a room only has one window, and it is not feasible or practical to add any more. Mirrors are a great way to maximize the light you have. Consider placing one where the sunlight can bounce off into other areas of the room.
- Window treatments: We agree that a well-done window treatment can add class and elegance to a room, but sometimes, they can also hinder the amount of light that comes in. If you want to allow more light into the room, choose lighter fabrics or even a simple valance. They can still give the desired effect while letting enough light into the area.
- Color: Bold or dark hues and shades can hinder natural light from doing its best since dark colors absorb light. We understand that white rooms are not everyone’s style, but a light palette such as gray, pastels, and even eggshell white still offers color without blocking natural light.
If natural light is an important factor for you, be sure to discuss it with your designer so you can evaluate your space and make plans to utilize it to the fullest for the wellness of your family. Here are a few other reasons natural light is good for your family’s well-being.
You moved into a house that allows you to have an extra bedroom, or maybe the kids have finally left, and you have a spare room, but now what? We would all agree that it is nice to have a spare bedroom, but should it be a guest bedroom, craft room, home gym, or something else entirely? Extra space is a good thing, but if it goes to waste, it has no value. Take the time to evaluate what you need and what could benefit you the most. A good plan yields excellent results and a space that will benefit you now and add value to your home later. Let’s explore some ideas to help get your creative juices flowing.
The master bathroom is considered a special retreat for the owners, a place of relaxation. Over the years, the design has changed from a garden tub and shower combo to walk-in showers and soaker tubs. Some wonder if both are needed or if one is more essential than the other. We want to explore the pros and cons of each and help you know which one is the best fit for you, or if you should have both.
Liver mush. Cleveland County is famous for its liver mush and the festival that has celebrated it for the past 30 years. Due to COVID-19, however, our community had to do some quick thinking to enjoy our yearly tradition still safely. This is how the first-ever virtual liver mush festival was born, and we at Greenbrook Design are honored to be one of the sponsors. Individuals were invited to share a video of themselves preparing their favorite way to enjoy liver mush for a chance to win cash and prizes valued at over $1,000.
The bare essentials. That is how some would describe a minimalist design style, one void of color and personality. A house designed with this style will only have the necessities needed to function, but that is not the case. While it is true that the minimalist style lacks the extra fluff and sparkle of other styles, it is still a beautiful choice for those who are looking to create a space with simplicity. Let’s unpack this style to see if it suits your home.
When you think of creating a unique space or finding extra storage, does your mind go to your stairs? Probably not, but there is so much that can be done with this unique space. Let’s explore what you can do with your staircase to get that little something extra you have been looking for.






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