Did you know that humans should aim to get between 10-30 minutes of sunlight several times per week to get the recommended amount of vitamin D? Did you also know that sunlight increases serotonin levels which can decrease anxiety and depression while increasing motivation?
We know that sunlight is very important to everyone’s general well-being but when we live in a country that only sees 1,400 hours of sunshine per year, it’s hard to achieve the recommended levels, especially if you work indoors. One way you can achieve this is by designing your space to utilise all your natural light.
Read on to find out 3 easy ways you can maximise natural light using custom wallpaper with Imageco.
The first step to increasing natural light is to fully understand your layout.
Every space is different. From open-plan offices with large south-facing windows to small, cramped retail units housed in listed buildings, wallpaper is not a one size fits all situation no matter what B&Q would like you to believe. That’s why we always start with a personalised consultation when starting a custom wallpaper project.
Take for example our work with Zaap Thai. We were approached by the world-famous Thai food brand to revamp their Leeds restaurant and create a sense of Thai culture amongst the gloomy Northern skyline.
On the restaurant’s main wall, we decided to use a design that encapsulated the bright streets of Bangkok with a mix of light blues and vivid yellows. Using this design (which by the way was made with recycled plastic bottles) on the restaurant’s primary wall created a dazzling focal point that pulls customer’s eyes away from the darker corners of the room and towards where the sunlight naturally hits.
To top it off, through the use of LED lights, the design seamlessly transitions into a starlit night when the sun disappears for a continuous street food ambience. Talk about keeping the vibes going!
Once you’ve completed your one-to-one consultation and fully understood what light in your space needs to thrive, the next step is to look at your needs. If you’re reading this blog, it’s safe to assume that one of your main needs is to increase the natural light within your space without increasing your structural window space and to do that you’re going to need something matte.
Contrary to what many believe, matte fabrics help light bounce off surfaces more efficiently than shiny fabrics due to their smoother surface. This creates an overall sense of glowing ambient light that is closer to sunlight, rather than the uneven rays seen with glossy surfaces. But matte wallpaper is often not chosen for high-traffic areas due to mainstream distributors labelling the product as uncleanable and impractical.
Thankfully, PONGS have come up with the perfect solution. Their DESCOR® wall coverings can be washed down and disinfected even with a matte finish. Coupled with our wide format printing expertise, you can ensure that your wallpaper continues to stay bright and clean for many summers to come.
Using the right colours in your space is crucial to making it look brighter and larger through the use of natural light. Take for example your average square-shaped office space with two small to medium-sized windows positioned on a south-facing wall. Now, while these two windows will receive quite a bit of light over the course of the day, this light is only felt by the people sitting directly in front of them. If you’re one of the unlucky few in the corner, you’re in for quite a dark day.
One way this office space could make better use of natural light is to utilise light, bright colours to help the light rays bounce further into the room. Now, we’re not just talking about whitewashing your walls but instead using your space to tell a story shined on by sunlight, through the use of custom wallpaper.
Victoria Primary’s new wallpaper upgrade demonstrates just how this can be achieved. Rather than sticking with their plain white walls, the Victoria Primary School team approached us to create custom-made wallpaper that would elevate and brighten their spaces to cultivate joy and creativity. With little to no outside light reaching some areas of the hallway we decided to incorporate bright hand-drawn illustrations on a white background to create an interesting space that utilises the little light that the space had.
Looking to bring more natural light into your space using custom wallpaper? Contact our expert team today to bring your ideas to life!
