How to Get More Natural Light in a Room

In Southeastern Wisconsin, winters are beautiful but can also get dark. Come January, you might walk into your dark living room and start wondering how to get more natural light into your home. Even with our beautiful summers on the shores of Lake Michigan, light sources are at a premium.

So, how can Milwaukeeans make the most of the natural light? How do we avoid the winter doldrums and blues by keeping our homes bright and cheerful? Can you enlarge your windows?

Benefits of Natural Light in Your Home

A blue room with grey wooden floors and white trim has large, spacious windows and French doors that open to a balcony. The windows have white trim, and a white overhead fan hangs from the vaulted ceiling.

You may not realize that enlarging your windows is one of the best ways to get more natural light in a room. It sounds like it might be a big undertaking, but it’s possible with Weather Tight! With beautiful Weather Tight replacement windows, you’ll update the feel of your Southeastern Wisconsin home, increase the value, and get the most out of the sunshine all year round.

By enlarging your windows, you’ll increase the amount of light in your home in a short time. Not only does more light make a small space look bigger and a dark room feel more welcoming, but increasing the amount of natural light is an effective way to make any space more functional. Large windows make a space feel completely transformed—brightening dark corners and making the most of sunny days.

You’ll see better in a dark kitchen when bigger windows let in plenty of light. More light can create a pleasant work environment for food preparation and cooking. The dining room will feel more inviting when you shed a little light on your meal.

That small bedroom or bathroom will feel much larger with replacement windows, especially if you choose some of the newer full-frame options. The light quality in the bedroom can help your circadian rhythm, resulting in better and more restful sleep.

For those working from home, full or part-time, more natural light has some great benefits that can make your job much more pleasant. According to a Cornell University research study, working in natural light can result in:

  • Improved mood
  • Better health and wellness
  • Greater focus
  • 51% drop in eyestrain
  • 63% reduction in headaches
  • 56% decrease in drowsiness

A lot of natural light has long been a perk of working from the “corner office” in your building. As the workplace has become more mobile and remote working is popular, that corner office might be in a dark corner of your house. If you’re working from home in a poorly lit guest room or a converted closet, chances are you’re missing the light in your home office. Replacement windows can help you get more out of your workday.

Even if you don’t work from home, there are plenty of benefits to increasing natural lighting in a dim room with larger windows—there are also plenty of options to get you there. You can also add side lights to your door and transom or picture windows as a simple way to increase the light near existing windows and doors. Glass doors are another great choice.

The most natural light comes from the outdoors, so finding ways to get as much natural sunlight as possible into small rooms really helps. Throughout your house, more window space to let in as much natural light as possible will make rooms feel more expansive. Even without an open floor plan, you’ll see better and feel better with more natural light.

As an added benefit, when you enlarge your windows, you’ll save money and lower your energy bill thanks to better insulation and performance. You’ll also reduce your energy consumption because you’ll need less overhead lighting and fewer light fixtures to see. You’ll increase the ventilation in your home, especially in the summer, and replacement windows will keep your home warmer in the winter. No wonder people get excited about the benefits of new, bigger windows.

Is it Hard to Enlarge Your Windows?

The ability to change and enlarge your windows depends on several factors, including your preferences and the placement of your existing windows. In most cases, though, replacing your existing windows with larger, brighter windows isn’t difficult, and our trained technicians can complete the job professionally and quickly. With full-frame windows, we can get you up to 25% more glass space, resulting in more light. Even better, it often doesn’t require more wall space or a major renovation.

When you replace your windows, you aren’t limited to the window size or design you had before. There are plenty of ways to get the look you want. You can change small windows for bay or bow windows. Put in a garden window to brighten your kitchen with warm light, or swap a window with a patio door. If you want a more subtle change, you can swap out casements and double-hung windows for a large picture window. The options are endless—you’ll be amazed at all the ways you can enlarge your windows.

In some cases, customers may even request we adjust the size of windows that are too low or narrow so they can better accommodate their furniture. The right-sized window makes a big difference. With replacement windows, the customization and options are vast. We can find plenty of options that will work for your situation.

When we replace windows, we always assess the existing structure of the window area. Because our technicians are highly trained and experienced, they’ll ensure the surrounding structure of your home will support the new, enlarged window and that the window will remain beautiful and weather-tight for years to come.

We’ll also work with you to select a trim to compliment your exterior finish so your house looks great inside and out. The low-maintenance trim options ensure that your window looks brand new for years. We want you to feel proud of your home’s style and curb appeal. With an array of custom trims, colors, and finishes, we will help you find the perfect window to get a lot of light in any space.

Even if your current windows are not showing signs of failure or rot, increasing natural light has been a hot trend over the past few years as new home buyers are looking for more open-concept, naturally-lit homes. The resale value of a home with good light may even allow you to get reimbursed for your investment! If you plan to put your house on the market sometime in the future, larger windows are a great way to add buyer appeal.

Contact us today if you want a style upgrade and more natural light in your home. We’ll explore your options so you can live happier and healthier in your home with more natural light!