Saving energy through alternative stairway lighting options | Are homeowners making the most of natural light?
The rising cost of energy in the UK has caused many of us to consider how we can save energy and use our electrics less. When it comes to clever ways of reducing your energy bill – you may not have considered utilising natural light in the home. As over 40% of a building’s energy use can be down to just lighting, making the most of natural light in the home can certainly go a long way. There are different ways in which you can increase the natural light in your home without adding windows or making dramatic structural changes. Utilising natural lighting around the staircase and using energy-efficient lighting can not only help to make your surroundings seem larger and brighter, but it can also help to reduce your energy bill.
Your stairway is often the first thing guests see when they enter your home. Though you may not put much thought into the appearance of your stairway, you can customise your staircase to allow more light into your home. There are also many creative ways you can help to beat rising energy costs through alternative staircase lighting.
So, how can you beat energy costs with clever staircase lighting methods?
Use glass panels to utilise natural light
To understand whether many of us are aware of how to make the most of natural light in their home, we put out a survey asking homeowners in the UK whether they feel they utilise natural light in the home. 50% of our respondents admitted to not knowing how to make the most of natural light in the home, while 30% of respondents admitted that this isn’t something they’re interested in considering. Only 20% of homeowners claimed that they try and reduce energy costs through making the most of natural light.
“Do you make the most of natural lighting in your home during the summer months?”
If you’re unsure about how to utilise natural light - one option to consider is using glass panels in your staircase. Although you may only consider options of wooden spindles when you think about staircase materials - glass balustrades create a contemporary look while bringing in more light and making your stairway feel less closed in. There are lots of options to choose from when it comes to handrails to pair with glass, with common options being strong and durable woods such as oak and pine, or even metal or glass handrails. Depending on your home decor and preferred aesthetic – there are many styles of glass panels to choose from. Minimalistic designs may be ideal if you are aiming for a sleek, simple look – while you can find slightly busier options if you want to dress up your staircase a bit more.
You can explore some glass panel design options for your staircase here.
While glass is such a great option for making the most of natural light – how many of us consider using glass panels in our staircase, and why should you consider using this option?
In our survey, just over 60% of respondents admitted that they aren’t aware of what glass panels are, while almost 30% admitted that they aren’t willing to pay the price to use glass panels.
“If you have a staircase in your home, have you explored the options of installing glass panels to utilise natural light?”
Glass maintains the visibility and flow of light, especially where you wish to display artwork or a feature wall. It can also introduce a wonderful pattern of light and shade. Using more than one texture, such as glass and wood, can help to reflect light through different textures.
As shown below - we also discovered that 70% of UK homeowners only stick to one type of material for their stair parts, rather than combining materials such as wood and glass. By being dismissive of experimenting with materials, we could be missing out on the opportunity to play with texture and create some interesting light contrasts.
“Do you experiment with a combination of materials when it comes to buying stair parts?”
Consider using LED lighting over traditional incandescent bulbs
Using LED lighting is a clever, more energy-efficient option for stairway lighting. However, how many of us actually consider this lighting solution? To find out how knowledgeable UK homeowners are when it comes to LED stair lights, we asked homeowners about their approach to LED stair lighting:
“Have you considered using LED lighting around your hallway/staircase as a cost-effective alternative to traditional lighting?”
As shown, only 8% of respondents admitted to considering LED lighting or using LED lighting as an alternative to traditional lighting around their staircase. A vast 70% of homeowners answered that they don’t know what LED lighting is.
So, what actually is LED lighting – and how can it benefit us?
As lighting technology advances, more and more people are choosing linear LED lights for stairs that are often installed directly on the stairway instead of wall lamps or pendant lights. There are many reasons why people are choosing LED lighting over other types of household lighting options, particularly incandescent light bulbs. When it comes to energy-efficiency and bulb life, LED lights are the better option. While incandescent bulbs make use of filament to produce light, LED bulbs make use of photons, which are created by the movements of the electrons inside a semiconductor material.
When applied to staircases - these LED strips are usually placed with their midpoint aligned to the centre of the step. This type of light installation lights each step evenly, an effect that cannot be obtained with traditional, overhead lighting.
One popular staircase lighting idea is to use LED lighting at the side of the stairs or under the stair treads. This option can help to bring out the wood’s natural texture as well as provide a clear guide when walking down the stairs. This can help to create a dramatic focal point.
Using LED step lights in the stairway can also help you to create a textured lighting scheme. By using strip lights concealed within the stairs, you can make the staircase itself glow rather than beaming light onto the stairs from elsewhere.
Read our expert tips on illuminating a staircase here.
Choose lighter wall colours over darker shades
Darker, saturated colours tend to not reflect light very well; however, lighter colours help the light bounce off the walls and help your stairway look like it is getting more sunlight than it actually has.
If you typically go for dark block colours around your stairway, you may want to consider ditching this in favour of a soft shade of white paint or light, neutral colours. Shades of white can help to make a space feel brighter as it reflects the natural light entering the room rather than absorbing it. This can be a great way of manipulating the use of the light in the home and may even help your stairway appear larger.
Ensure windows and light sources are not obstructed
Ensure windows and light sources are not obstructed to ensure you aren’t unknowingly preventing natural light from coming in. After all, if you have a large pile of objects such as books or even a large plant that blocks the window – you are reducing natural light in your stairway. This even may cause the space to appear smaller.
Use mirrors to maximise light sources in the stairway
Lastly – using glass or ornaments made from reflective material can really make a huge difference to the stairway. Mirrors can brighten a room overall, but they can also draw light into darker areas of the home. Directly across from a window, a mirror bounces light around the room and reflects light as if it were a window.
Do you prefer the option of a gallery wall over a single mirror? Consider adding a mirror to this wall and reducing the number of pictures slightly. Mirrors are great for creating an eclectic look on your gallery wall and can help to showcase your style while giving the illusion of more space and maximising the available light.
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Expert tips on illuminating your staircase