People often comment on the great light we get in our house. A lot of that has to do with the good fortune of having big windows and a bright western exposure. But wherever you live, there are some tricks you can use to make the most of your windows and bring more light into your home.

My top tips from our home are:

1. Window frosting to allow you to keep your curtains open

2. Strategic furniture and plant placement to allow you to keep your curtains open

3. Mirrors placed opposite your windows to reflect the light

4. Adding windows in unexpected places during a renovation

Here are some details about how we have used these tips around our house, with bright, sunny results! Today’s post is about:

2. Strategic furniture placement to allow you to keep your curtains open

I once had a rather blunt architect we were interviewing (and did not hire!) comment on the “unfortunate” placement of the big picture window in our living room. Despite his lack of charm, he had a point – it looks out on our cracked concrete driveway and our neighbor’s house. After his diss, I was inspired to soften the view by placing a table and chairs in front of the window. If you wanted to completely block the views from the bottom of a big window, you could use a couch or sideboard, but I feel like our solution provides enough privacy while still allowing a lot of light through.

Besides furniture, your large plants can help filter views as well. As you know, I have a thing for fiddle leaf figs (you can read my posts about pruning and propagating them). These oversized house plants love bright light, as long as they don’t get too much direct sun.

Hope your day is bright and cheerful!

“Jewels”