Figure Out Which Direction Your Home Is Facing When Deciding How to Decorate a Room
Whether you’ve recently moved into a new home or apartment, or taking advantage of another winter locked up at home to improve your home, there are many things to consider when drawing up your decorating plan. Along with factors such as your budget and how the room will be used, there is another important piece of the puzzle: the direction in which the room and your entire house are. Here’s how to understand it and why it matters.
How to tell which direction your house is facing
If you don’t already know which way your house is facing, you just need a compass (and yes, the one in Google Maps works). If you are in the house, stand at the front door and look in which direction the compass is pointing.
Whether you’re in an apartment or want to figure out which direction a particular room in your house is facing, it’s not that easy. Of course, you can stand at the front door and see which direction the building is facing, but if you are decorating the room from the other side of the structure, this may not be that useful.
When it comes to decorating, it’s important to figure out which direction the natural light is coming from. To understand this, use a compass while looking towards the window (s), which are the main source of natural light in the room.
Why direction matters
Ultimately, one orientation does not outperform others, Megan Devine explains in an article on BobVila.com . Each of them has its own advantages and problems, so it is more important to understand what they are and how to solve them.
In addition to defining natural light, the direction a home faces has other implications, including those related to energy efficiency, heating and cooling costs, home maintenance, and energy flow. We’ll focus on decorating choices here, but read Devine’s article to learn more about other ways orientation affects a home.
How to use home orientation when decorating
As we discussed above, the direction in which the house (or room) is facing determines the amount and timing of natural light. There are several ways to use this knowledge when choosing jewelry and designs:
Using blinds and curtains
Houses (or rooms) facing east receive the morning sun . While it’s great for regulating circadian rhythms , people who don’t necessarily want to wake up when the sun rises can invest in blackout curtains or blinds. Likewise, if the room faces west and you really need the help of the sun to help you wake up every morning, you might want to consider thin curtains that not only retreat but also let light in.
Color selection
The time of day when a room gets most of the natural light can also help you choose colors for walls, furniture, and other décor. Here are two examples from Devine:
For example, design professionals can take you away from reds and oranges in west-facing rooms that get most of the sunlight from 2pm. Fans of bold or dark colors may want to limit themselves to south-facing rooms with enough light throughout the day to handle the intense tones.
Arrangement of furniture
Now that many of us have a home office of some sort – even if it’s just an impromptu desk in another room or hallway – it’s time to think about the type of natural light your workplace receives. For example, if he’s in a west-facing room that isn’t lit until midday, you need to make sure you have plenty of lamps or other artificial light sources — not just to help you. see what you are working on and also help you wake up early in the day.
Using mirrors
If there isn’t a lot of natural light in the room, a well-placed mirror (or two) can help enhance the light the room receives without the need to add additional lighting fixtures.