Your room at 8 AM, 2 PM and 8 PM: designing for light that changes throughout the day

A room can look hugely different from morning to evening and it has nothing to do with moving furniture around.

The natural light changes throughout the day and with it our perception of:

• Colour

• Texture

• Shadow

• Proportion

A wall that appears soft and warm in the morning may appear brighter and cooler in the afternoon. A living room that feels open at noon can feel more private and intimate after sunset.

Designing for changing light is an important aspect of creating a home that is comfortable and beautiful for homeowners in Aventura and North Miami Beach, where bright Florida sunshine can make a big impact on interiors.

Here’s how your room could look at three different times of day—and how smart design choices can make it look its best all three times.

8 AM: Gentle Morning Light

The morning light is usually a gentle, fresh feeling. The direction your windows face can create a lower angle of sunlight, which creates long shadows and highlights certain areas in the room.

This is where lighter colours, natural textures and translucent window treatments can be particularly effective.

• Sheer or light filtering shades can allow you to enjoy the brightness of the morning

• Filtering the glare

• Maintaining some privacy

The flooring and walls in your room also affect how this light bounces around the room.

• Lighter surfaces can help disperse available daylight

• Textured wallpaper or carpeting can add visual depth without being overwhelming in the softer morning atmosphere

2:00 PM Bright Sunshine in Florida

Natural light can be much stronger by afternoon. The strong South Florida sun can:

• Cause a glare on television and computer or other screens

• Make some rooms warmer

• Cause sunlight-sensitive furniture and flooring to receive prolonged exposure

Here, the ability to precisely control light becomes even more valuable.

Smooth & Natural

Custom shades and blinds let homeowners fine-tune the amount of natural light in a room, creating the right balance between brightness and privacy.

Depending on the room and orientation, room-darkening options can be helpful for:

• Bedrooms

• Media rooms

• Any room where glare control is important

Motorised Window Coverings

Motorised window coverings are even more convenient. Automation means you can control shades all day without having to manually open and close every window.

8 PM: A Room as an Evening Space

By 8 PM natural daylight has pretty much gone and it's up to your interior lighting. But those window treatments you chose earlier still have an important part to play.

Closed drapery or shades can:

• Create a sense of privacy

• Make the room feel warmer

• Make the room feel more intimate

At the same time, the colours and textures of your walls, floors and furnishings can look quite different when illuminated by artificial light.

When you can, evaluate how samples look in both natural and artificial light.

Design for the Whole Day II

The most beautifully designed rooms are not always the ones that look perfect at this one particular hour.

One of the best ways to manage this transition is through window treatments.

Match:

• Shades

• Blinds

• Shutters

• Custom drapery

• Wallpaper

• Flooring

• Furnishings

to create a room that works from breakfast through bedtime.

Aventura Home Decor features custom window treatments, drapery, wallpaper, carpeting and flooring options that work cooperatively for homeowners.

With expert guidance, you can think about not only how your room looks at 8 AM, but how it will feel at 2 PM and 8 PM, too.

Designing for Every Moment

Because great interior design is not designing for one moment in time. It's about designing a room that looks and feels right all through the day.