Creating a Light and Airy Home

The house that I am currently living in is the fifth home that I have owned, so I have had lots of fresh starts in terms of deciding how I wish to decorate. Each time I have moved, through trial and error I have gradually refined my tastes and I can now say that I am very happy with how my current home is decorated and furnished. I used to be into bold and opulent prints and colours (I still have a Cadbury purple 3 piece suite to remind me of that phase…) but now I am much more into a more basic, bright and airy Scandi style.

I have written before about how I suffer from anxiety and I can absolutely say that my mental health is much better on bright and sunny days compared to dark, gloomy days, so it makes sense to make my home as light as possible. I have done this by keeping the walls in my living room pure brilliant white and by using white and pale wood furnishings. In one corner of the living room is my office space, which I absolutely love as it is in a bright and sunny spot and is probably the only corner of my home which hasn’t (yet) been invaded by little people.

Here are a few ideas to help you create a light and airy home:

Replace your Windows

Obviously this is the most costly of measures but by taking advantage of window special offers you needn’t spend over the odds. Over time, double glazed windows can cloud up and lose their insulating properties. If your windows are due to be replaced, make sure you get windows with white interior frames as this will make a huge difference to the sense of light in your home. At the start of the year we replaced our clouded-up patio doors and switched out the black frame for a white one and now our kitchen looks so much bigger. Here’s the before and after:

Keep your Windows Clean

Sometimes it’s easy to ignore the fine film of grime (eww) that slowly builds up over time on your windows then boom – suddenly it’s a bright sunny day and the sunshine streaming through your windows reveal how filthy they have become. This might be a bit of a sad revelation but I get Alexa to remind me each fortnight to clean my windows – it only takes a few minutes but I find it instantly gives my home a boost when it comes to the feeling of light and airiness.

Decorate in Light Colours

A very obvious one but it’s easy to get sucked into the current trend for bold, dark colours – if you follow any interiors accounts on Instagram you will know that Farrow and Ball’s Hague Blue is everywhere right now and whilst I think it (and similar hues) can make a room seem lovely and cosy on a cold Winter’s night, it really sucks the light out of a room. I find that light colours invoke a sense of calm – I’ve found another post here with more tips on creating a calm, comfortable environment.

Incorporate natural elements

To avoid the clinical look which can come with an abundance of white decor, I like to incorporate natural elements into my decor. For example, I love my bamboo desk top and I tend to use wicker baskets for storage. I have also picked up a few house plants too which help add a pop of natural colour and help improve the air quality in my home. I also occassionally treat myself to an affordable floral arrangement when I am doing my weekly shop.

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