10 Ways to Maximise Light in Dark Homes
An architect reveals 10 clever tricks for bringing in the sun that face the wrong way
Dominic Bagnato
20 August 2021
Houzz Australia Contributor. Director at Bagnato Architects. I have a passion for architecture and building, and I love creating spaces that are well planned and simple, using natural materials to create warmth and luxury.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Director at Bagnato Architects. I have a passion for... More
We all dream of living in a home where light-filled living spaces open onto a sunny garden. But sometimes it’s simply not possible to buy a piece of land that faces the right way, or to construct an extension. If that’s the case for you, don’t despair – there are a number of techniques expert designers use to capture that all-important sun and ensure that your home is bathed in light. Let’s explore the main ones.
1. Add a private outdoor space to the front
If the front of your home receives the most light, consider designing a secondary, private outdoor space in this spot (if it’s permissible by your building/society rules). Fencing it off from your front lawn not only gives you privacy, it allows you to open up your interior spaces to light.
If the front of your home receives the most light, consider designing a secondary, private outdoor space in this spot (if it’s permissible by your building/society rules). Fencing it off from your front lawn not only gives you privacy, it allows you to open up your interior spaces to light.
2. Look to the side
If your site is wide enough, consider setting up your main outdoor space to the side of your house. Add in large expanses of glass, as the owners have done here, so that both your alfreso area and living spaces are bathed with light. This arrangement also allows light to flow through to all adjoining rooms.
See these outdoor decks accentuated with built-in seating
If your site is wide enough, consider setting up your main outdoor space to the side of your house. Add in large expanses of glass, as the owners have done here, so that both your alfreso area and living spaces are bathed with light. This arrangement also allows light to flow through to all adjoining rooms.
See these outdoor decks accentuated with built-in seating
3. Create a central skylight
Homes that are oriented the wrong way can be dark and devoid of light, but a centralised lightwell or skylight can filter light not only into a private courtyard, but to the rooms surrounding it. Entire walls of glass can be opened, blurring the lines between inside and outside.
Find an architect or a designer for your next home project
Homes that are oriented the wrong way can be dark and devoid of light, but a centralised lightwell or skylight can filter light not only into a private courtyard, but to the rooms surrounding it. Entire walls of glass can be opened, blurring the lines between inside and outside.
Find an architect or a designer for your next home project
4. Set your sights higher
In a home that faces the wrong way, the open spaces will often suffer from shadowing as walls have a nasty habit of hindering the sun’s rays. One solution is to elevate a secondary outdoor space, such as a balcony, closer to the sky so that it is bathed in light.
In a home that faces the wrong way, the open spaces will often suffer from shadowing as walls have a nasty habit of hindering the sun’s rays. One solution is to elevate a secondary outdoor space, such as a balcony, closer to the sky so that it is bathed in light.
5. Create transparent links
Rather than create a home made up of one solid mass, where some parts of the home are light and others are dark, consider creating separate pavilions where the spaces are connected via transparent links that filter light from one room to the next.
Check out these extraordinary pavilions and pool houses
Rather than create a home made up of one solid mass, where some parts of the home are light and others are dark, consider creating separate pavilions where the spaces are connected via transparent links that filter light from one room to the next.
Check out these extraordinary pavilions and pool houses
6. Introduce clerestory windows
A great way to allow northern light to enter your home is to incorporate clerestory windows along one or more walls in your living space. These small windows are installed along the top of the wall just before it meets the roofline, oriented towards the north and north-east so they capture the light, which can then be directed to any part of your home. To draw in even more light, you can also have the roof angled to increase the size of the windows.
A great way to allow northern light to enter your home is to incorporate clerestory windows along one or more walls in your living space. These small windows are installed along the top of the wall just before it meets the roofline, oriented towards the north and north-east so they capture the light, which can then be directed to any part of your home. To draw in even more light, you can also have the roof angled to increase the size of the windows.
7. Step your home along the site
By creating a series of pavilions that step down the slope of your site, or by altering the ceiling height of each pavilion on a flat block of land from front to back, you can install clerestory windows along the sun-facing ceiling line as well as additional glazing to the side of the building. This allows light to enter deep into the heart of your home so that all rooms receive maximum solar penetration.
By creating a series of pavilions that step down the slope of your site, or by altering the ceiling height of each pavilion on a flat block of land from front to back, you can install clerestory windows along the sun-facing ceiling line as well as additional glazing to the side of the building. This allows light to enter deep into the heart of your home so that all rooms receive maximum solar penetration.
8. Increase the size of your sun-facing windows
When capturing the sun is simply not possible, consider increasing the amount of glazing on your windows and walls.
Introducing raked ceilings will boost the surface area of glazed windows and walls further, allowing in even more light. You could also consider angling glazing so that part of it is exposed to light.
When capturing the sun is simply not possible, consider increasing the amount of glazing on your windows and walls.
Introducing raked ceilings will boost the surface area of glazed windows and walls further, allowing in even more light. You could also consider angling glazing so that part of it is exposed to light.
9. Light colour scheme
Sometimes solar penetration from other sources such as clerestory windows still isn’t enough to create that light-filled ambiance you’re after. If this is the case, use a light-enhancing palette of white walls and furniture paired with pale upholstery to bounce the available light around and make the space feel brighter.
Ever heard of the right shade of white paint?
Sometimes solar penetration from other sources such as clerestory windows still isn’t enough to create that light-filled ambiance you’re after. If this is the case, use a light-enhancing palette of white walls and furniture paired with pale upholstery to bounce the available light around and make the space feel brighter.
Ever heard of the right shade of white paint?
10. Limit trees and shade
North-facing indoor and outdoor spaces can sometimes require eaves and external shading devices such as trees to provide reprieve from the hot summer sun. However, if your home faces the other way, these shading devices will only prevent much-wanted sun from entering your garden and interior. A little pruning and strategic placement of trees can open up the spaces so they receive as much sun as possible.
Read more:
How to Bring Light Into a Dark Apartment
Tell us:
Is your home built on a block that faces the wrong way? Tell us about it in the Comments below.
North-facing indoor and outdoor spaces can sometimes require eaves and external shading devices such as trees to provide reprieve from the hot summer sun. However, if your home faces the other way, these shading devices will only prevent much-wanted sun from entering your garden and interior. A little pruning and strategic placement of trees can open up the spaces so they receive as much sun as possible.
Read more:
How to Bring Light Into a Dark Apartment
Tell us:
Is your home built on a block that faces the wrong way? Tell us about it in the Comments below.
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Good article - orientation is oh so important. our block has the road to the north and amazing outlook to the south, so we are having to employ several of these techniques namely, private front garden, large windows south and wherever possible only one main room deep so rooms benefit from both southern view and northern sunshine, few to no windows east or west. the high proportion of glazing means that it will need to be double glazed and also will take a high proportion of our budget, but hopefully will be worth it
Lovely ideas!
However, even the best designed houses can do precious little to increase light entering the rooms if they stand cheek by jowl. For those who can afford, the obsession with filling every square inch of precious land with concrete and bricks is of little help.
Hoping that one day, small homes surrounded by light, trees and greenery will be all the rage.
Hi Preeti
Yes I agree it’s better to have a well designed smaller home than an average not so well designed larger home.