Shading Techniques for Interior Design
Shadowing and shading adds depth to a home and provides layering of color for the walls of a room. Because of this, interior designers, decorators and homeowners make use of several shading techniques in the home. Some of these techniques are architectural while others use less permanent forms of shading and shadowing. Does this Spark an idea?
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Curtains and Shades
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Of course one of the fastest ways of improving the shading in your home is by using curtains and blinds. Curtains range in thickness, color and size, while blinds range in configuration, size and color. In either case, using lighter colors will reduce heat absorption from sunlight casting through the windows. While venetian blinds and mini-blinds are commonplace, they also offer more control over how much light is allowed inside the house than curtains. Still, light colored blinds are often incapable of giving the same amount of shading as a thick layer of medium to dark curtain.
Lighting Placement
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Inside the home, the type and placement of lights plays a large part in the amount of shading a room will feature. Indirect lighting, such as lamps or accent lights, are better suited for the task of creating shade, since they are moveable and less imposing than an overhead light. Placing lamps near a corner and focusing directional and accent lights on a wall will promote both shade and visibility.
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Window Placement
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If the home is still in the construction stage, placing windows in certain areas can greatly affect the amount of natural shading in a room. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so limiting the number of windows that face these directions will lower the amount of natural light allowed in the room. Southern and northern facing windows provide indirect access to sunlight and windows adjacent to trees will provide even less direct sunlight. Skylights, windows set on top of the house, can cause the same problems an overhead light would cause if placed directly over a living space but skylights with splayed light shafts that favor one side of the room will light one wall while shading the rest of the room.
Overhangs
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Another measure taken either during the construction of the home or as an addition are overhangs, which prevent outdoor light from overwhelming the interior atmosphere, even at midday when the sun is brightest in northern and southern windows. Overhangs provide a small canopy over the window, blocking the direct rays of the sun. They are available both as permanent additions to the house and as temporary measures in the form of awnings and retractable awnings.
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