Real Living Australia – September 2019

ways to instantly brighten your home

Paint the ceilings and

walls white. Darker

colours absorb light,

but white walls will

reflect the natural

light that enters the

room and bounce it

around, making the

space feel brighter.

1

Swap heavy curtains

for sheers. In Marie’s

home, lightweight

sheers have been

installed along all the

windows to diffuse

the glare of the sun,

while still allowing

a soft light to enter.

2

Mirrors reflect and

suffuse light, and the

place where you display

them can boost this

effect. Hang two

mirrors facing each

other on opposite

walls, or a large one

opposite a window.

3

Even if your home

doesn’t have glass

walls like this one,

regularly giving your

windows and glass

doors a good clean

will allow as much

natural light to filter

in as possible. A

4

Wood work Stairs leading from a home office to this guest room upstairs are made from the same pine plywood as the

joinery in the kitchen. The use of simple, streamlined materials against the white walls and floors adds to the easy-breezy

ambience. Open house The courtyard (opposite) is blissfully low-maintenance. The furniture is simple and sturdy, large

trees are contained in planters and the ground is covered in woodchips, ideal for high-traffic outdoor areas. “The concrete

and iron table is by Géraldine Perrier-Doron, a French artist,” Gilles adds. “It’s been following us for more than 30 years.”

@reallivingmag

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