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SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT



There’s always been an endless discussion between the merits of artificial light vs. natural light in a home. As a home stager, I am drawn to homes with large windows that can show off the beauty of the interior. However, when it comes to taking interior photos, I use a balance of both artificial and natural light to insure clarity in a photo. Are you more of a natural light person or an artificial light person? Let me walk through the pros and cons of each category demonstrate how home stagers use both sources to our advantage.


Natural Lighting Pros

Many people prefer natural lighting in personal photos because natural light reveals a person’s truest colors. The same goes for natural light inside the home. Many times, paint colors or furniture colors look different when incorporated into your own home because the natural light of each home is unique. This can be a good thing when it comes to the home since the color will be at its truest hue with natural light.

Energy efficiency is another aspect of natural light. An article written by Lorna Ordos from hunker.com points out that one of the benefits of natural lighting comes down to the energy efficiency of the home. Energy efficiency is defined as the goal to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. Window placement is key to how efficient the energy is in your home. For a more energy efficient home, you would want more windows facing southward instead of east and west.

Another advantage for natural lighting is the effect that the natural light has on a person’s mood. Natural lighting gives off a calm, peaceful ambience, which in turn makes most people feel tranquil and at home. For this reason, home stagers love to stage homes that have plenty of natural light which they can use to their advantage. When paired with beautiful home staging, natural light will offer a bright and airy feeling that any buyer will want to make their forever home.


Natural Lighting Cons

Although using natural light comes with many benefits, there are a few things homeowners and home stagers should be cautious about. One of the main disadvantages to of natural lighting is temperature. When a home has several access points for natural light, the home can become overly warm, causing electricity bills to increase due to extra necessity for air conditioning. The solution for this would be to invest in good quality curtains or blinds to use on days when temperatures are higher.

Not only can the home become too warm when the sun is at its peak, but the sun’s rays may also cause color on rugs, furniture, and even artwork to fade over time. Using proper window treatments is a great solution in most cases. However, higher windows may be harder to reach with window treatment. If you like bright pops of color throughout the home, be sure to move your favorite textiles out of direct sunlight to avoid extra wear over time.

Finally, it’s important to be aware of the best timing with natural light. For a home stager, timing is everything. If a home has been staged with shiny items, the natural lighting of the home can cause a glare or harsh shadows. This can pose a problem in photography causing some corners of the home or items in the home to be washed out.


Aritificial Lighting Pros

Although artificial light is not praised as highly as natural light, there are some positive aspects for its use. Unfortunately, all houses are created equal. Sometimes architects will create homes with fewer windows and therefore depend on added lighting to brighten up every corner of the room.

As with natural light, artificial lighting can also change the mood of a room. It gives a room an ambience of industry or success. For this reason, offices and school rooms depend on artificial light to distract less and offer more of a workplace feel. Often times, this is the reason that the kitchen and dining rooms usually have the most or largest lighting in the home. Those are the centers for getting things done and artificial lighting highlights the role for which the room is intended.

Artificial lights can also be used by designers and stagers to make a room more interesting and unique. Lamps can be a fashion statement in living rooms and bedrooms. These sources of artificial lighting can be incorporated with natural light to illuminate every nook and cranny of the home that natural light may miss.


Artificial Lighting Cons

However, a positive aspect for artificial light can also be a negative aspect for artificial light since it effects the environment and those living in the homes. If used for long period of time with no breaks or natural light, the radiation from artificial light can cause disruptive sleep patterns and health problems mostly related to the eyes. The gases in some fluorescent lights can also cause health issues which is why many people have begun to use environmentally safe light bulbs in their homes. Since the most common artificial light can cause health issues be sure to find the safest kind that can offer the same results. Although this is not perfect, it is a solution for those whose homes need a little more artificial light on a daily basis.


The debate between artificial and natural light may never actually come to an end. However, by understanding the pros and cons separately, we can learn the best way to use them together. When natural light and artificial light are combined, they can work to capture every exquisite detail of a beautifully staged home.

. Written by Esther Hernandez

Edited by Victoria Roberts

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