Last Updated on April 22, 2022 by Kravelv
Our homes feel their best when they’re open and airy, but it can be hard to make that feeling last long enough to really enjoy it. What we can do is build healthy habits when it comes to home maintenance, to ensure we get to experience brighter living spaces for longer periods of time. Here are a few steps you can take towards making your home natural light and airy.
1. Clean with natural products
Removing harsh chemicals from your clean-up routine can make a world of difference when it comes to keeping your home feeling fresher for longer. Harsh aerosol sprays can actually be quite damaging to you and your family, and can easily be subbed out for kinder, lemon or vinegar-based natural homemade cleaning products. The same goes for your floors and tiling too! Using a steam cleaner is a superb natural alternative to cleaning with traditional carpet shampoos, especially for households that find themselves constantly battling allergies.
2. Address clutter head-on
Every home has its ‘problem areas’. You know, those spaces that just seem to attract clutter? They’re most commonly known as coffee tables, kitchen benchtops, laundries, shared bathrooms and of course, kids bedrooms. The best way to handle these clutter-prone zones is simply to address the sources of clutter directly. If you’re finding clothes strewn all over the place, maybe a well-placed laundry hamper or coat rack is the answer. If there’s always an excess of cups or plates on the coffee table, add some seating to your kitchen to encourage your household to take meals in this area instead. If you address clutter at its source, chances are high there’ll be a lot less cleaning in your day-to-day life!
3. Personalise your aromatics
Every beautiful house uses aromatics, but a home has its own scent profile. It’s a specific smell that you can associate with winding down on a long day, and that your close friends and family associate with you. Have a bit of fun with mixing and matching candles, incense, and diffusers to find a combination of scents that may perfectly complement your home environment. You may find yourself using a specific scent for a specific room, or perhaps just sticking to a selection of similar scents. There’s no incorrect process here!
4. Play gently with empty space
In the past, a lot of interior designers were uncomfortable with the idea of open space in a home environment. Any ‘blank’ areas would need to be handled with great care, as an accent that’s too large or too small may throw the entire room out of balance. Nowadays, however, with the rise of minimalism and post-consumerism, empty space can be just as it is. A bright and airy house generally can’t be too visually noisy anyway, so giving your living spaces a little sparsity may help your cause. If there are spaces that you do feel are painfully ‘blank’, consider introducing some small, flexible accents like a pouffe, some floor cushions, or some nesting tables.
5. Adopt some potted plants
One fantastic way to make the most of empty space is by filling it with some gorgeous greenery. Houseplants have been growing more popular over the past decade, with many garden stores and nurseries now propagating plants specifically for indoor environments. Get yourself some succulents for your window sills, some potted herbs for your kitchen bench, and some ferns and spider plants for your bathroom to easily add a pop of colour and vivacity to these spaces. It’s also worth noting that the benefits of houseplants don’t just stop at colour. In fact, houseplants have been known to clear toxins from the air, as well as boosting the emotional health and wellbeing of the home’s occupants. It’s safe to say your little green babies will aid in keeping your home fresh, bright and inviting in an evergreen sense!
6. Use ambient lighting
You can keep your home’s atmosphere feeling light and natural by subbing out any harsh or strong lighting with flexible, ambient alternatives. Tea lights or fairy lights can be a fantastic way to add a softer feel to any space within your home. If you’re concerned about using candles, you can sub them out for dimmable smart lighting.
Alongside this, it’s good to maximise on your home’s natural light availability by opting for sheer curtains in your living spaces. Leave the heavier curtains or blinds for your bedroom!
Final Words
As you can see, there are a few ways you can easily brighten up your living spaces. You may not use all the options laid out here, but as long as you’ve found a few that work for you, you’ll be sure to be on the right path to a naturally brighter home!
