Chasing the Sun: Taming West-Facing Windows
The thing I love most about my house is also the thing that has caused me the most stress, damage, and money – up until just recently. The beautiful west-facing California sunlight made the house unbearably hot in the afternoon, almost year-round. It faded out all of my furniture, textiles, and wood in a very bad, sad way.
That is, until I met LLumar Window Film. My relationship with these windows is as long as they are tall. Let’s go back to the beginning when we bought the house. A lot has changed, folks. The windows were big and opened up the space, but they were dark and tinted. After we moved in, it looked like a cave. Definitely airier and brighter, but that tint was a problem. Why someone would buy a house like this, then darken it, was beyond me at the time. Being the sucker for natural light that I am, I was so excited to rip that stuff off.
We had it removed, then the windows washed, and let the light flood in. It was magical from December through April – every Instagrammer’s dream, I’m sure. But I know you know where this is going. Come springtime, the house was HOT. Like, unbearably hot. We installed these automatic roller shades to help combat the heat. These blocked the harsh light while still letting in a ton of light and provided great privacy at night. But these shades clearly weren’t as fun to stare at as the view, and they really didn’t help much with the heat.
So then, and here’s a real riveting story, we had our AC checked, and it needed thousands of dollars of work to bring it into working order – new ducting, new intake vents, blah blah. Once we got that fixed, the house stayed SO much cooler. But on those hot days with the sun blasting in, it was still pretty arresting.
Home Curtains Philadelphia is the perfect solution for taming those west-facing windows and creating a comfortable, bright space year-round.
Faded Furniture and Floors: The Slow, Sad Damage
We normally shoot this room either in the morning, when it’s cloudy, or when the shades are down. But here’s how it actually looks during the day – super streaky, harsh, and generally very hard to photograph. See how the sunlight is barreling into all my furniture and textiles? It was doing damage as I was innocently playing with my baby in the other room. It was slow, but sad. The leather in my sofa has been almost completely faded, except for where the pillows were blocking the sun from hitting it. The flooring is even worse, as you can see there’s a pretty severe line where the rug is. It’s crazy, and it’s probably happening to your poor floors as we speak.
So we had three problems: the unbearable heat, the fading furniture and floors, and the harsh, unwelcoming light. I knew I had to find a solution, and that’s when I met with LLumar, a company that manufactures window film for your windows that is professionally installed by a local dealer.
A Clear Solution: Window Film to the Rescue
At first, I was wary, having removed a window tint 2 years before. I didn’t want anything to affect the quality of light in my house. But they convinced me that window tints have come a long way since 1992 when those tints were installed, and that I would never notice a visual difference. They showed me a few different tints that, of course, looked blue against white, but the second we held them against a window, they were totally clear.
There is a broad range of window film available, from practically clear to dark, with up to 99% UV ray protection. I chose to go with Vista by LLumar products on the lower windows and AIR80 on the upper. I had them put up a sample before they did it, and I honestly couldn’t see a difference in the amount of light that came through for one, and just barely for the other. If I hadn’t been so scared of the light going away, I probably would have done Air80 everywhere, which is what Bob, the installer from Solar Art Window Film, suggested.
The installation process was super fast and painless. The installers were professional, friendly, and total pros. When they were finished, it was like nothing ever happened. It’s hard to shoot this product because it is literally designed to be unseen, but in the below photo, you can see the slight tint that it has.
We did our master bedroom windows as well, because it was also west-facing and insanely bright and hot. You can’t even tell where the film starts and stops, which I was so impressed by.
Costs and Benefits of Window Film
So how much exactly does it cost to install the window film? Well, it varies widely depending upon the size of your windows and the type of film you choose. Of course, I selected two of the highest-end window films possible. The living room windows were 183 square feet, and the cost could be $1,100 – $2,000 depending on the film chosen. Mine were around $2,000 because the windows are huge. If they are more standard, like my master bedroom, they can be more in the range of $400 – $600.
Another big selling point on this window film is that every film, no matter the tint, acts as a security film if the window were to shatter and holds all the glass in place rather than have it fall all over the floor or, heaven forbid, a loved one.
It’s winter in LA, but it was in the 90s 2 weeks ago, and while we had the AC on, Brian and I both noticed a difference in the living room. Normally, you can’t really sit in that room because it’s so warm when it’s that hot outside, but it was so much better with less heat, glare, and hopefully unseen furniture damage, which will come in VERY handy because we are probably replacing that sofa with a big navy linen piece.
I love the light in this room even more because I can actually sit in here during the day now. I write, play, and can watch the sunset without my eyes being cooked. The message here, if you are in a situation like this and are looking for a solution, the LLumar tint film is one that I absolutely recommend. It’s an investment at the beginning, and a bit of a boring way to spend money, but the enjoyment we get year-round out of that room is going to be worth it, as well as saving our furniture and art.
The sun, as much as we love it, is a wonderful and powerful force. With LLumar window film, we can finally keep the happiness inside and keep the heat and damage outside, where it belongs.
Embracing the Rainy Day
Our wedding day was the most magical day I’ve ever experienced. And the best part was, it rained. If you would’ve told me six months ago that it was going to rain on our wedding day, I would’ve told you to get lost. In all honesty, I had always pictured my wedding day as a sunny and 72-degree day – it was September, after all. We were jipped on a spring here in Des Moines, so I was just sure our fall would be the best weather ever. But that wasn’t the case, so we rolled with it, and it still was our best day ever.
The week leading up to our wedding, it said rain and cold all weekend, which left me stressed, frustrated, and trying to come up with a back-up plan for our outdoor ceremony. We tried just about everything, but eventually came to our senses that our 30-minute ceremony wasn’t worth dropping thousands more on a day that we’ve already spent a pretty penny on. I was checking the weather every 20 minutes on every possible weather source. It was Thursday afternoon that I realized I had to be okay with whatever the situation was. Trust me, it wasn’t easy for the perfectionist in me who envisioned a warm, sunny day, but I had to remember that God had another plan.
Was I more focused on a picture-perfect day, or did none of that matter because I was marrying my best friend? It was definitely the latter. It didn’t rain all morning into early afternoon, so Joe and I got to take a lot of photos out in the rose garden prior to the ceremony, which honestly looked like a dream without the sun beaming down on our faces.
My mom was just so positive it was going to rain from day one, so she had ordered 200 umbrellas six months prior, yes, you read that correctly. My mom and our coordinator had also suggested we move the ceremony inside to Woolys, but I stood my ground and was adamant that we kept the ceremony outside. We had also previously planned to have tents out for the bridal party to hang out in as guests arrived, which worked out well because just as we wrapped up photos in the garden, it started to rain.
My mind was in other places, but everyone else was thinking people might not come because of the horrible weather. And while we didn’t take attendance, I saw almost if not all of our guests. No better feeling than realizing that all of those people love you enough to sit through a chilly, not-so-typical wedding ceremony. The train of my dress got drenched, but I didn’t care. I was so happy, excited, feeling all the feels, that I rolled with it. I knew I’d only wear it once, and there was no way I’d hold my train down the aisle.
After the ceremony, I felt like I could finally BREATHE. We hopped on the limo, drove around downtown to take more photos with our wedding party, and stopped for a drink at our favorite bar, Hello Marjorie, where we got engaged. Next up, the reception.
A weight was lifted off my shoulders that this was inside. We had our reception in the East Village at Woolys, which is Joe’s brother’s concert venue. The place looked completely transformed to what I was used to. It’s more of a dive-y, hipster-y spot, so we used that to our advantage and decked the place out with plenty of flowers and vintage decor. It was the perfect reception venue for us – we both spend a lot of time there going to concerts, which added all the more meaning to it. It also speaks to who Joe is – a huge music lover and used to have his own band.
I enlisted in a lot of help to set up the place. I had gathered a lot of decor that was either in my house currently or something I could reuse again in the future. My style is definitely not your typical formal wedding decor, and while not everyone agrees with this, I didn’t care. I wanted the place to be representative of Joe and me.
All in all, it was better than I could’ve ever dreamed of. Of course, none of it would’ve been possible without our amazing vendors:
Photographer: Ali Leigh Photo
Ceremony: Des Moines Art Center Rose Garden
Reception: Woolys DSM
Caterer: Gateway Catering
Florals: Shelly Sarver Designs
Live Band: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Stationery: Brighten Made
Dress: Pure Bridal
Reception Florals & Styling: Emily Powell
Hair: Jenna Hoffmann
Make-up: Kelsi Ziemann
Groom’s Outfit: The Black Tux
Rentals: Unique Iowa Events
Baked Goods: Scratch Cupcakery
Brightening the Darkness
It’s a rite of passage to have a dark, maybe even windowless room at some point in your life. You aren’t alone, and I can solemnly say that a small room with little natural light is one of Americans’ biggest design agonies. If natural light is our design best friend, then the lack of light is indeed the enemy.
So today, we are declaring war, and we are going to win. The goal here is to not just add physical LIGHT, but also create a sense of BRIGHTNESS, of LIFE. But first, if you are currently renovating or about to, stop and ask yourself: Could I put in a window or skylight in here?
Aside from you lucky renovators, most of us just have to use what we are handed and resort to tricking the eye into perceiving the room as bigger and brighter than it is. MAGICIANS, WE ARE! Let the magic begin.
Don’t be afraid to embrace a darker color, including the ceiling. Oddly, if you have a dark room with a white ceiling, it almost stops your eye and makes the ceiling feel lower. But if you paint it the same color or a slightly lighter version, it feels more like it extends with no stopping point. If you are afraid of it looking like a cave, go for a medium tone, like the 2nd or 3rd on the paint strip you are eyeing, to give it a feeling of depth.
Despite all of your common sense, if you paint a small, dark room white, it will look like a small, dark, flat, boring room. Sure, it might feel bigger, but without light bouncing around, it’s also going to feel like a boring jail cell.
Mirrors are any room’s secret weapon or magic trick. They not only make your room feel bigger, but they will bounce around any light that comes its way. Don’t be afraid of using more than one mirror in the same room. Just make sure to vary the sizes and functions – for example, one could be a large, leaning mirror, and the other a smaller wall mirror.
Shiny objects will always reflect light and make a space feel a little happier. That can be a light fixture, picture frame, small tray, decorative object, accents of your furniture pieces, etc. Just don’t go overboard unless you want to go full speed into the glam world.
When you don’t have natural light, you gotta create it. Ambient lighting is a MUST in a dark room. Those are lights that give off diffused light in all directions – think lamps with a shade. Then consider a sconce and even a small, directional task lamp for a side table. Having a couple of types of light sources will make your space feel much happier.
Since we are already talked about lights, let’s go deeper and discuss light bulbs. Now, there is a time and a place for cool white light bulbs. They are apparently way better for your work area and where you put on makeup, as they create more of a color contrast. But EHD is pro-warm light all the way. This is especially important in a dark room. Don’t add a cool light that will make your room feel cold and harsh. Instead, bring warmth into your room and your heart with a light bulb like this one.
If you have a dark room and only decorate with muted, solid neutrals, you are asking for a space that will feel flat and probably a little depressing. You don’t have to decorate with all the colors of the rainbow – actually, don’t do that. Just choose a color palette that makes you happy and throw in some patterns with varied pattern scales for visual interest.
This one is a bit more involved, but a great tip nonetheless: Installing French doors or interior doors that let in light is an easy hack to increase the brightness of your room. There are great modern options, too. You can put a shade, curtain, or film over the glass for more privacy. Obviously, these types of doors don’t give the most privacy, no matter how good your shade is, so they might be better suited for an office, playroom, or even a guest room.
Does it seem counterintuitive to block your likely one window with even something as small as a bud vase? Sure, I mean, in a dark room, you want to capture every bit of natural light that you can. Well, I am here to tell you that you silence your intuition and should try putting a plant near your window. It will simultaneously bounce light around and create pretty shadows that give your room texture. Ultimately, a plant will bring life and sculpture to your room, which is ALWAYS a good thing in my book.
The war is now officially over because, as I confidently predicted, WE WON. Dark, sad rooms be gone, and only happy, brighter spaces shall be created henceforth. I hope that if you are one of the natural light-lacking room dwellers, you feel hopeful that those days are indeed numbered.
