Natural light provides a variety of benefits in both residential and commercial spaces. Whether we’re at home or at the work, we need natural light, but we need privacy as well. In fact, it can be difficult to strike a good balance between natural light and privacy, getting enough of one without sacrificing the other.
Benefits of Natural Light
As humans, we actually need natural light for good health, largely due to sunlight being an excellent source of Vitamin D. According to the Mayo Clinic, we can’t have healthy bones without this important vitamin which we absorb through our skin when exposed to sunlight. Without Vitamin D, our bones would not be able to absorb calcium, the essential building block of our skeletal systems. Vitamin D has other important benefits as well, ranging from reducing the risk of heart disease to supporting a healthy weight.
There have been a lot of research studies on other benefits of natural light as well. The studies show natural light can impact everything from our moods to our productivity. An article in Psychology Today reports a long list of benefits. They include improving cognitive performance, relieving stress, and lowering blood pressure.
Natural light can also make living and workspaces feel more open and airy. That’s one reason why many modern offices have replaced dark, closed-in meeting rooms with spaces that have transparent glass walls. Glass walls in interior design help distribute natural light throughout large workspaces. They can also brighten small rooms that might otherwise be dark and claustrophobic.
Optimizing natural light in indoor spaces also helps to reduce the need for artificial lighting which can cause eye strain, alter our moods, and even interfere with sleep. In addition, artificial lights sometimes detract from the aesthetics of a room and use energy, contributing to higher utility bills.
How to Get More Natural Light Without Sacrificing Privacy
Many design elements in residential and commercial buildings can be altered to take better advantage of existing natural light. However, these types of changes typically require adding additional windows, replacing standard walls with glass walls, or tearing down walls altogether. Extensive renovations like these are expensive and time-consuming yet still don’t solve the issue of how to provide privacy while adding more light.
Window Film Can Provide a Balance Between Privacy & Light
Window film is an affordable solution that can provide the best of both worlds. Available in many styles and options, you can customize window film for any desired privacy level. Even while enhancing privacy, the film still allows a significant portion of healthy natural sunlight to filter in through exterior windows, glass doors, and skylights. Depending on the style of film that’s chosen, window film can make it difficult for onlookers or would-be criminals to see indoors, yet can allow clear views to the outside world even at night.
Window film isn’t just for building exteriors either. It’s also an effective solution for adding privacy to interior surfaces like glass walls in conference rooms in commercial buildings. You can apply the film to entire walls to create private work areas. The film can also be installed only at eye level for a more open feel while providing some privacy. In homes, window film adds privacy to glass surfaces like shower doors in bathrooms or glass partitions between rooms.
Balance Natural Light & Privacy with Our Window Film Solutions
ST Graphics, the space-enhancing specialists, would love to help you create a custom privacy solution. ST Graphics is the largest 3M certified window film installer in the midwest. We serve schools, business owners, designers, and architects in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Schedule a free consultation, and we’ll bring your space to life.