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Maximizing Natural Light in Your Kansas City Custom Home

Written by Richard "Rocky" Rhodes | Nov. 21, 2024

Kansas City is one of the most beautiful places to live in the United States, and one reason is its incredible natural lighting opportunities. However, not every home gets to enjoy this city's gorgeous lighting. But don't fret—there are ways you can maximize sunlight in your home. 

In this blog, Dusty Rhodes Homes will share how to get more sunlight in your home. We’ve used our extensive experience in maximizing natural light in custom home for a more cheerful, warm, and energy-efficient home. 

What is the Best Home Direction for Natural Light?

For most people interested in buying property or building a custom home, natural sunlight is essential. Although any amount of sunlight is good, some home positions allow a home to get a lot of natural light. In Kansas City, the preferred home direction for natural light is southern-facing. If you build a southern-facing custom home, you’ll receive the most light throughout the day. 

However, this doesn’t mean that building your home in other directions will prevent you from getting natural light. For example, houses that are built north-facing get gentle sun throughout the day. This means it will never feel like the sunlight harshly illuminates your home with temperature fluctuations. In addition, building a house that is east or west-facing means you will see natural lighting mainly in the early mornings or evenings when the sun rises and sets. 

 

Home Lighting Ideas: How to Make a House Have More Natural Light?

There are quite a few home lighting ideas for sunlight optimization in custom homes. So, if you’re looking for the answer to how to maximize light in a room or your whole house, you’ll find the information below helpful. 

We’ve shared a few easy tips to make your house have more natural light. 

Paint Your Ceilings and a Lighter Color

Although dark rooms can make a room feel cozy, they can also make your space feel cramped and small. That's why, when looking into how to maximize natural light in a room, you should consider painting the walls and ceilings of your custom home a lighter paint color. 

Light walls and ceilings will make a room reflect more light, and this can make any space in your home feel brighter and more open, especially the places found in the direction your home faces. 

Use Reflective Surfaces

Maximizing sunlight in your home doesn't have to be complicated. One of the absolute easiest ways to ensure proper natural lighting is to use reflective surfaces. This means using items like silver decor trays, glossy artwork, and metal accents throughout the home. These reflective surfaces will masterfully catch the light and distribute it. 

 

Use Artificial Lighting Wisely

It might not seem like it, but using artificial lighting wisely can supplement natural lighting. You can use energy-efficient light bulbs that are bright enough to illuminate an entire room. We recommend energy-efficient LED bulbs. You can also try artificial lighting that mimics sunlight, like circadian lamps. 

Choose Doors With Glass

A simple but effective way to maximize natural light in your Kansas City custom home is to choose doors with glass. Doors containing glass inserts or side windows bring in more lighting than expected.   They can help illuminate entryways that lack light and bedrooms that aren’t south-facing. If you want to maximize natural lighting in your home, you can also choose French doors or sliding glass doors. 

Install Large Windows

If you’re concerned about natural light home design, installing large windows is one of the best things to do when building a custom home in Kansas City. Large windows in custom homes allow lots of natural light to filter in, especially if strategically placed. 

When it comes to home window design ideas, floor-to-ceiling windows are always a good option in Kansas City, as are transom windows, which go above doors or other windows. 

 

Contact Dusty Rhodes Homes Today About Maximizing Natural Light In Your Kansas City Custom Home

Modern custom homes with natural light are becoming increasingly popular in Kansas City, and for good reason. A light-filled home can significantly improve mood and make a house more energy efficient. 

Fortunately, there are several ways to maximize natural light with Kansas City custom home design, and we know how to do this at Dusty Rhodes Homes. We specialize in all floor plans, including open floor plans for natural light. 

We know the tips and tricks to ensure your spaces in the home are well-lit. So, if you’re considering a custom build and want natural lighting to be a priority, you can speak with us here