How to bring nature indoors?

It's a good feeling to be able to sit snug and warm inside and still be able to enjoy the sun, the light and a good view. This is particularly true here in the Nordics, where light is sparse in the winter and where every ray of sunlight must enter unhindered where we are. "Light and airy" is a term that is used a lot in housing ads - because most people are looking for places with as much natural light as possible.

What brings natural light into your home?

The impact of the pandemic means that more people now work, live and play in their homes than ever before. Even with restrictions lifted, many of us are not returning to the office to the same extent; and with our homes now serving as part-time offices, homeowners need to consider how they can design more efficient spaces in their home, making the architecture of the home work best for a greater part of the day. Designing a motivating space, which contributes to productivity and comfort, requires an understanding of the design elements that influence this.

Our ability to focus and maintain our energy levels is dependent on a few factors that are influenced by our home environment, and there are some fundamentals of good design that can take an interior space from simply adequate to efficient and uplifting. Everything from the aesthetic to the internal climate of a room has a role to play, but one of the most important factors is natural light.

There is a lot of talk about the benefits of natural light on our overall health and well-being. It regulates our sleep cycles and our mood, and it affects our energy levels and ability to focus. Natural light has also been shown to have a positive effect on productivity and reduce the effects of seasonal disorders.

Exposure to daylight naturally requires the inclusion of glass in your home. It's important to think about maximizing light exposure – which involves more than just opening the curtains every day, or adding a lone extra window in the kitchen area.

Opting for something more substantial like a frameless window or glass wall, or including something more elaborate like a skylight or even an opening glass roof, can be a hugely positive step. Choosing the right type of glass, such as low iron panels to provide more clarity, is also an important factor in maximizing the impact of any renovation.

The versatility of glass to transform your home and let in more light is by no means limited to interior use – it's now possible to build an entire outdoor extension using nothing but frameless glass. A glass extension can be a wonderful investment in your home - perhaps bridging the transition between the interior and the garden - or you can create a glazed link between two existing buildings, adding a transparent room or corridor that provides a passage from one to the other . Much of the same can be done in a workplace, whether it is an office community or a production facility.

When consulting an architect, you should consider structural glazing solutions such as those we have mentioned above from the very first stages of your considerations. Thinking about light and views from the start will mean that the elements can be seamlessly integrated into the structural design of the room or building.

Choosing the right solution!

With so many different glass features available, and technology enabling more innovative and practical solutions than ever before, we can list some of the most popular glass features that bring something unique to interior design:

Glass walls – Glass walls primarily create a sense of horizontal continuity. Frameless and expansive glazed walls create the illusion of an interior space extending beyond its actual limitations and, of course, flood an interior space with natural light. This glass solution also adds a practical element, as glass walls can have sliding doors that provide seamless access to outdoor areas.

Skylight/glass roof - Glass roofs can offer both practical and aesthetic elements to a design. With both fixed and opening options available, these glass installations can provide access to exterior roof areas, while providing the aesthetic benefits of a frameless glazed feature. The most important thing is that this glass solution provides a view of the sky and provides a powerful light source.

Glass Floors – A glass floor makes a highly functional but also decorative addition to any home, with options ranging from small single panel floors and huge multi-panel installations, to a variety of different opening options, including pop-up, hinged and sliding glass floors. They can provide your home with ventilation, flood spaces below with natural light, and provide insulation, while maintaining a sleek, minimalist look.

Additional factors to consider

If you are now spending more time working from home, consider the placement of your desk in your home office to ensure it makes the most of the natural light available. Check that there are no shelves or furniture that could block external light sources. This will help you feel more focused and productive throughout the day.

“If you are now spending more time working from home, consider the placement of your desk in your home office to ensure it makes the most of the natural light available.”

In fact, exposing yourself to light in the morning is the best way to prepare for the day – so if you can create a design that maximizes the light that shines in from the morning sun in the east, that's a great way to start your day. The good news is that you only need about 13-15 minutes of exposure to trigger the decrease in melatonin secretion that will tell your brain it's daytime and get mine and your body awake and alert for the day.

The interior colors you choose for your home will either absorb or reflect light. Dark shades will absorb daylight, while a room painted in white or other light colors will help to reflect and bounce the daylight around the room.

You're probably already aware that adding a mirror increases the sense of light and space in a room, but putting a transom over a window can actually double the amount of sunlight that enters a room. This will bounce the natural light around your home and brighten up any interior.

There is no doubt that natural light is important to us and we should maximize every opportunity to bring it into our homes.

The most effective way to bring more light into your life is to install a glazing solution that will not only add value to your home, but also represents a lifelong investment in your own health, well-being and happiness. Now, where can you go wrong with that?

Air and light into our rooms

Now, after a long period of imposed home time, with work patterns that have changed more or less permanently and many people who travel less to and from work, and have become more aware of how we feel both at home and in the workplace, more people want to bring in more air and light and be able to see nature where we stay.

The key to this is a well-thought-out glass solution – one that not only provides plenty of daylight, but also a higher quality of light that filters through the room. So how can homeowners use glass to bring more natural light into their homes, and why is this important?

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