The Characteristics of Daylight

The Characteristics of Daylight

The direction of the room as well as the time of the year plays a significant part in the quality and quantity of daylight and sunlight.

North facing rooms have a cool light that casts fewer shadows which is why this clarity of light is favoured by artists. Care needs to be taken with the window treatment, choosing subtle curtains or blinds in soft warm colours to avoid the room feeling dull and oppressive. Vertical Blinds are ideal in this situation as they can be pulled opened during the day taking minimal amount of light from the window opening as the blades of the blind stack neatly on top of each other to the side of the window. Should the blind need to be used during the day these autumn colours will cast warm pools of light across the room. Try to avoid buying a house with a north facing living room, they are not conducive to a happy family atmosphere.

South facing rooms are blessed with sunlight throughout the day, but it will need to be controlled during the summer months to reduce high room temperatures and the fading of curtains, carpets and soft furnishings. The sun moves across a south facing room all day, constantly bathing the room with a bright light. Careful thought needs to be taken with the choice of window treatment, especially in a living room or study where the bright light will interfere with television or monitor screens. A Roman Blind or a Pleated Blind will be perfect for a small window with this aspect as they can be altered to accommodate the angle of the sun. Large windows will probably benefit more from a Roller Blind or a Vertical Blind that has had special properties added to help to block out the harsh rays or heat of the sun.

Eastern light is a morning light that weakens during the day. Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom windows are all ideal for welcoming the early morning sunlight, although having said that a bedroom may well need the benefit of a Blackout Roller Blind to enable the residents to wake when they are ready and not when the early morning sun starts to stream in the windows. A brightly coloured Metal Venetian Blind or a high impact patterned Roller Blind will be ideal in a kitchen that faces to the East so that when the sunlight has moved from the window, there is still something welcoming and cheerful at the windows.

A room facing the West is an afternoon room, but especially during the winter months when the sun is low in the sky. A room that is buzzing with activity would benefit from including some kind of window blind to control the brightness. A Roman Blind made from a fabric that compliments the curtain fabric for example, will allow the curtains to only be used at night, the Roman Blind being deployed as and when required for viewing a television or computer screen for example. Metal Venetian Blinds are also an ideal option for a room with a western aspect as the blades of the blind are completely adjustable giving you complete control of the level on sunlight entering the room.