I've seen the light… no, not that one

INSIDE OUT editor Claire Bradley laments the unbearable un-lightness of an apartment that’s more like a dungeon

Natural Light

THE unbearable un-lightness of an apartment that's more like a dungeon

Gallery: Be inspired by a light-filled home

It’s funny how you don’t notice natural light until it’s missing. And it’s not like it’s hard to find in our wide brown land. Even in the height of winter, step outside on most days and you’ll find a crisp blue sky and natural rays a-plenty. Outside, yes. Inside is another thing.  
 
I recently moved into an apartment that, on first inspection, is gorgeous. Lovely decorative mantel, clean white walls (not rental beige, ‘Antique White USA’), neat and tidy semi-recently renovated kitchen (and nothing scary in the bathroom). It was a winner, my friend and I crowed to each other as we shimmied past the other hopefuls, application in hand.
 
Moving day duly arrived and after hours of shuttling around and rearranging sofas, I slept well. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of chirping birds… in the pitch black. Not a problem; I’ll just open all the blinds to find, well, more darkness.
 
Not one window let in any light. Not one.
 
That’s not so bad, I told myself. That’s what lamps are for. A great excuse to light some lovely scented candles, and purchase a beautiful floor lamp or two (maybe three if I plan on reading). Night-time in my little place was going to be magic!

Plus, it’ll stay nice and cool in summer, I said. And it did. It also stayed nice and depressing.
 
Many believe there are significant psychological benefits to waking naturally with the light, but there was no chance of that happening for me. Each day, my alarm screeched through the darkness, much like it does when you’re suffering from hellish jetlag in a foreign airport hotel room with the blackout curtains drawn. Experience that every day and people start to notice you’re not the shiny happy person you once were.
 
Without realizing it, I began to dread being at home. Did I want to stay over at a friend’s place and do breakfast? Lovely! Shall I have a second glass of wine… Yes, but I might have to sleep here, is that OK? I’ll just grab my overnight bag from the car.
 
You know it’s bad when you’re offering to look after friends’ much smaller apartments on crack alley, just to sit basking in the windowsill like a cat.
 
Seven months down the track, I’ve decided I’ve had enough. I can’t carry on living like some kind of Quasimodo of the north.

More: How to add light to a dark kitchen
 
As luck would have it, my good friend is about to move her family out of her amazing sun-filled apartment and I’ll be moving that same day. (Was that my idea? I can’t quite remember.)
 
She’s warned me that the light is a bit of a problem and that it might fade my sofas. Whatever, I’ve seen the light and it’s changed my life!
 
Top 5 things to consider when looking for a light-filled apartment:
 
1.    Time of day: many inspections are early morning, when there’s lower light. But if you’re after morning sun, it’s a god time to see what really happening. Best case scenario, you’ll see the place a couple of times, at different times of day, before you move in.

2.    Direction: I’ve never been good with a compass, but it’s worth knowing which way the apartment faces – and I don’t mean the front door. Ask the estate agent where the sun falls and at what time. If they hedge, you know you’re in trouble.

3.    Surrounds: the windows might face the right direction, but there could be a mid-level construction that blocks the rays. Also, have a look at the houses on the street to see if they have strategically positioned deck chairs.

4.    Check for DA approvals: If you’re buying, look into what’s in council for construction. You might have sun now, but what happens when that block of 20 goes up next door?

5.    Fade lines: sure, sun fading the kitchen cupboards or the carpet/floorboards is mostly considered a bad thing, but in this instance, it’ll give you a good indication of whether the rays every hit the space directly.

Stay tuned for the top 5 things you need to know to keep too much sun out of your brand new apartment…

Claire Bradley is the editor of Australian home magazine, Inside Out.