A light piece of thinking goes a long way

Any amateur decorator can tell you that allowing daylight into your home can enhance the mood and make it seem bigger and fresher, but the skill is in choosing the type of natural light to allow in.

The placement of windows and conservatories in a home can help achieve different effects dependant on their location.

Letting light in from the north will make for clear and cool light but, as glazing features on this side of the home benefit from almost no direct sunlight, it may be advisable to opt for insulating shades to trap warmth.

Eastern light will heat up a room, especially in the morning as the sun rises, and will often help the room maintain its warmth throughout the day.

East facing glazing is susceptible to glare problems so it would be advisable to invest in a shade or treating windows with a diffuser to scatter the light.

Light from the west can be harsh on furnishings as the strong evening sun pushes through the haze of impurities in the atmosphere so again, light diffusing treatment is useful, as is UV-ray protection.

Southern light lights a home year round, giving a warm glow but consistent heat from south facing windows can also damage furnishings so UV-stable fabrics would be advisable in these rooms.