White paint, pale colours, and soft neutrals will help spread the sunshine around your room. Higher reflective paint finishes can even enhance the illusion of larger and sunnier spaces, which is important when you're living in a smaller flat/apartment.
It's best to have sheer see-through curtains or soft cotton curtains that will allow the sun to penetrate your curtain choice, rather than dark blackout curtains. Sheer provides a bit more assurance of privacy while letting a little daylight flow through to provide warmth for your home over the course of the day.
In Indian cities, the windows normally get deposited with dust and pollutants that reduce their brightness. Cleaning not only creates clarity but also improves your natural light. Clean windows are not done very often and are very easy to do, and will yield brighter rooms.
Mirrors can be positioned strategically opposite windows to increase the light in a room by twofold. This reflection will not only create an illusion of more and brighter space but also make small or dark corners feel already open and visually linked with the incoming natural daylight.
Chunky or dark furniture might impede light from coming in. Sleek, raised, or lighter-toned pieces are the best options, allowing sunlight to go through freely across the room. The whole area acquires a feeling of space, luminosity, and visual lightness.
Place heavy wardrobes, sofas, or décor items away from the window. When windows are completely bare, they let in more daylight, but also ensure better ventilation—two important reasons for the comfort of naturally lit Indian homes.
Using shiny glass or metallic decor will also let the sunshine flow through you. When used thoughtfully, those shiny materials can work as helpful reflective surfaces of sunlight and possibly add a soft glow to the space overall.
Closed cabinets next to windows are light barriers. Open shelving or low-height units allow the area to breathe, letting light in through the window without sacrificing functional storage.
Money plants, snake plants, and areca palms can be considered as sunlight-loving plants, enhancing window areas, but at the same time, keeping them open. They act as softeners of light, give natural freshness, and are also the complements to the overall brightness of the house.
Dark textiles soak up light and, thus, make the rooms look dark. Get rid of them and put light-coloured rugs, cushions, and throws instead that mirror brightness. These small exchanges elevate the room's atmosphere and daylight effortlessly.
Ankit Modi, Managing Director, Durakraft Extrusions