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Author
Brevis Shaw
Use daylight, orientation, reflective surfaces, and layered lighting to make interiors feel more open and comfortable.
Residential Interiors
Use daylight, orientation, reflective surfaces, and layered lighting to make interiors feel more open and comfortable.
Read the daylight
Natural light changes throughout the day and across seasons. Before planning a room, observe where the sun enters, which views matter, and where glare or deep shadow may become a problem. Window placement and orientation can influence the mood of a space as much as its colour palette.
Where structural changes are not possible, furniture placement and window treatments can still help daylight travel further into the room.
Reflect without glare
Pale walls, softly reflective finishes, and clear sightlines can help distribute light. Mirrors are most useful when they reflect a meaningful view or a brighter part of the room, rather than simply being added as decoration.
Balance reflective surfaces with tactile, matte materials so the interior remains comfortable and avoids feeling clinical.
Layer the evening
Daylight planning should connect with an equally considered artificial lighting scheme. Combine ambient light with task lighting and focused accents, using dimming where appropriate to adapt the room to different activities.
A successful lighting plan supports the architecture instead of competing with it. It should make the space functional by day and atmospheric after dark.
