Building a Northeast Florida custom luxury home with Tidewater Homes means the design possibilities are endless – from fixtures, finishes, and cabinetry to flooring, landscaping, and outdoor living spaces. Each choice you make should be a pragmatic one, thinking into the future and making decisions based on the home life you seek.
Natural light plays a pivotal role in the comfort of Florida homes. After all, Florida is named the Sunshine State for a reason! It’s important to ensure your new custom home is maximizing the benefits of natural lighting and ticking the boxes on your dream home list.
Here are some home design tips for showcasing natural light in a luxury custom home.
1. Large Windows
We’ll start with probably the most obvious way to bring more natural light into your luxury home build: large windows! The key here is to opt for windows that are energy-efficient with upgrades like low-emissivity (low-e) glass coating for UV reflection. Energy efficient windows (and patio doors) will help prevent heat transfer to allow your HVAC system to more easily maintain the indoor temperature. Windows manufactured with low-e coatings can reduce energy loss by as much as 30% to 50%.
There are even more strategies that our Tidewater Homes design team can help with, like determining the optimal direction to face the house on your home site, the placement of windows in each room, or the selection of expansive folding or multi-slide patio doors that can totally transform an exterior wall into one large window. These options can all help maximize natural lighting in a seamless indoor/outdoor design.
Also, many Florida home designs include outdoor living spaces.
This screened covered patio below is a great spot to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee on a cool morning. The sunshine helps light up the space beautifully!
2. Skylights
Another efficient way to let natural light into your Florida custom home is with the inclusion of skylights. If you prefer more internal hallways or maintaining bathroom privacy by opting for a windowless bathing area, skylights are a great way to add natural light without compromising privacy or your individual taste.
Tidewater Homes can consult with you on skylight placement, taking the exterior of your luxury home build into consideration. We’ll ensure that natural light will find its way to your home and help create a more ambient and brighter environment for you and your family.
3. Open Floor Plans
Considering an open floor plan can help you avoid unnecessary light barriers while designing your custom luxury home. Letting the natural light flow freely through your home can eliminate dark corners and create an inviting environment.
Tidewater Homes are pros at using light to our advantage. We have a large library of open concept floor plans. Click here to view our project gallery.
4. Natural Materials & Light Neutrals
When designing your Northeast Florida custom luxury home, avoid heavy, light-blocking materials and instead opt for natural, neutral-colored materials like wood, glass, and stone. These materials allow light to penetrate, keeping the natural light inside of your custom home free flowing throughout.
Choosing lighter-toned colors for your walls, flooring, and even furniture decor can help bounce light around the rooms and amplify the natural light in your custom luxury home. Light colors can add a sense of brightness and joy to your home.
Tidewater Homes can advise our clients on the best natural materials to use as centerpieces and finishes in their luxury home build, emphasizing the flow of natural light.
5. Reflective Surfaces
Speaking of materials like glass, this and other reflective materials like metallic finishes and mirrors can help magnify the natural light in your custom Florida home. If placed strategically, these reflective materials can cause light to bounce around your home, inducing positivity and uplifting spirits.
