- Natural light reduces your reliance on artificial lighting, which lowers energy use and helps support a healthier daily rhythm.
- The amount of daylight a room receives depends on three things: the style of the window or door, its placement, and what is blocking it.
- French doors, bay windows and skylights are among the most effective options for bringing daylight deep into a room.
- Clearing clutter, swapping heavy curtains and choosing clearer glass are low cost changes that make an immediate difference.
- In Canberra’s cold winters, double glazing lets you keep large glass areas without losing comfort or paying for it in heating bills.
With so many of us spending so long indoors, whether through working or leisure, we don’t get out in the great outdoors as often as we’d like to. While there’s no replacement for fresh air and everything the outdoors has to offer, particularly in our capital city, there are many ways to bring the outside into your home simply by maximising natural light.
One of the easiest ways to do this is through your windows and doors. By choosing the right ones, you can maximise your home’s natural light no matter where you live. It all comes down to the style of window and door, and their placement in the building.
Why Should You Try to Maximise Natural Light?
What’s the big deal about natural light, anyway? Well, the more natural light you can get into your home, the less you’ll have to use electric light.
Imagine it’s late morning, you’re sitting at your desk with a coffee, but you’ve had to switch the main light on because the window next to your desk is too small. It’s well known these days that too much artificial light can make you feel more tired, disrupt your circadian rhythm, make you less alert, and even affect the quality of your sleep. Not only that, but leaving lights on uses more energy, leading to higher bills and an increase in your carbon footprint.
So, minimising artificial light while maximising daylight is the best course of action if you want to be healthier, happier, and have a more energy efficient and cost efficient home. But with so many different options for windows and doors on the market these days, the choice might feel overwhelming. Let’s explore some of the options.
Daylighting in Simple Terms
Daylighting is the practice of designing and positioning glazing so that sunlight does the work of your light fittings for as much of the day as possible. It is one of the core principles of passive design covered by the Australian Government’s Your Home guide, and it applies just as much to a renovation as it does to a new build.
Which Windows and Doors Are Best at Letting Light In?
In today’s modern age, there are so many ways to flood your home with natural light, and they don’t have to break the bank. A simple way of letting more light into your home is to make sure your windows and doors are free from clutter.
For example, that potted plant might look pretty on the sill, but it’s also blocking the sunlight streaming in from outside. Those heavy velvet curtains in your living room look elegant, but are they necessary, or would they work better in a bedroom?
If you’ve got the budget to make more significant architectural changes to your home, here are some good options for windows and door systems to add to or replace what you already have:
- French doors: Admired for their timeless style and elegant look, French doors are a great way of letting more natural light into your home. With floor to ceiling glass panels, they allow light to stream through into any room with no obstacles, whether open or closed.
- Bay windows: A bay window is a window space that juts out from the wall of a building, usually constructed of one forward facing window and two side facing windows. Because of this, they let in light from three different directions rather than just one, making them one of the most effective window styles for daylight.
- Skylights: Often we assume windows can only be placed into walls, but don’t forget about the roof. If you have an attic room, you can really maximise the amount of natural light you let in by installing a skylight.
- Sliding and lift slide doors: Wide openings with slim frames give you a large uninterrupted pane of glass, which means more light and a stronger connection to the garden or patio.
Comparing Your Options for Daylight
| Option | How it brings in light | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| French doors | Full height glazing on both leaves, light passes through whether open or closed | Living rooms, dining rooms and any wall facing a garden |
| Bay windows | Draws light from three directions instead of one | Front rooms, lounges and reading nooks |
| Skylights | Overhead light from directly above, useful where wall space is limited | Attic conversions, hallways and internal bathrooms |
| Large sliding doors | Maximum glass to frame ratio across a wide opening | Open plan living areas and alfresco connections |
| Awning and tilt and turn windows | Slim sashes with generous glass, plus controllable ventilation | Kitchens, bedrooms and upper storeys |
Balancing Light and Comfort in Canberra’s Climate
Canberra gets cold winters and hot, bright summers, so more glass is only a good idea if that glass performs. This is where the glazing itself matters as much as the frame.
- Double glazing: Two panes separated by a sealed cavity, usually filled with an insulating gas such as argon. It slows heat transfer in both directions, so you can have larger windows without a cold room in July.
- Low E coating: A microscopically thin coating that reflects heat back to its source while still allowing visible light through. You keep the daylight and lose much less of the warmth.
- Glass tinting and toning: Useful for glare control on west facing rooms, though heavier tints will reduce the amount of visible light you gain, so it is a trade off worth discussing before you order.
Choosing the right combination is easier once you have seen the options side by side. Our range of glass types and glazing packages covers clear, obscure, acoustic and solar control options, and the right choice depends on which way the room faces and what you are trying to solve.
Placement Matters as Much as Product
North facing glazing collects the most useful winter sun in Australia, while west facing glass tends to bring afternoon heat and glare. If you are planning an extension or a full replacement across a Canberra home, orientation should shape the window schedule before anything else. Our team works on projects across the region and can walk you through what suits your block, so it is worth reviewing what we offer for homes in Canberra and the surrounding ACT.
Quick Wins You Can Do This Weekend
- Clear sills of plants, ornaments and stacked items.
- Swap heavy drapes for lighter, pale fabrics that pull fully clear of the glass.
- Mount curtain tracks wider than the window so the fabric sits on the wall, not the pane.
- Clean the glass inside and out, including the frames and seals.
- Place a mirror opposite a window to bounce light further into the room.
- Trim back shrubs or branches shading the outside of the window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I maximise natural light in a dark living room?
Start by removing anything blocking the glass, then increase the glazed area if the budget allows. The most effective upgrades are French doors or large sliding doors on an external wall, a bay window to capture light from three directions, and lighter window furnishings. Pale wall colours and a well placed mirror will also spread the light you already have further into the room.
Do double glazed windows reduce natural light?
No. Double glazing adds a second pane and a sealed cavity, but clear double glazed units still transmit the large majority of visible light. Any noticeable reduction usually comes from a heavy tint or a dark solar control coating, not from the second pane itself.
Which window style lets in the most light?
For a fixed area of wall, the styles with the slimmest frames and the fewest divisions let in the most light. Fixed picture windows top the list, followed by large sliding doors, French doors and tilt and turn windows, all of which offer a high glass to frame ratio.
Is it worth adding more glazing in a cold climate like Canberra?
Yes, provided the glazing performs. Single glazed windows lose significant heat overnight, so a larger single glazed area can make a room less comfortable. With double glazing, a Low E coating and well sealed frames, you can increase the glass area and still hold heat in through winter.
If you’d like to learn more about how to maximise the natural light in your home through your windows and doors, get in touch with us today.
