Winter Blues

Living in a northern climate is often accompanied by the winter blues.  Feelings of fatigue and sadness creep in as the days get shorter in the fall.  Taking vitamin D tablets, exercising and getting outside for an hour at the peak of the day as well as using a sun lamp can ease symptoms due to lack of light.  Certain architecutral features can also help brighten things up.  Living spaces should be oriented to the south, with lots of windows.  Window treatments can be eliminated or kept to a minimum.  Curtains with valances keep out a lot of light.  Blinds are better if privacy or sun control is required.  Having "layers of light" can allow flexibility for different seasons.  For example in a living room, you can have recessed can lights for general lighting, table and floor lamps for task lighting,  sconces and cove lighting on walls for accents.  Art work can be highlighted with spot lights.  In the summer, perhaps only the lamps would be used.  In late afternoon in the winter all the lights could be on, to give the feeling of the day being extended.  In bedrooms, lights can be installed that simulate the sunrise, which can help fool the body into thinking it is not winter.  Having windows in a room that face several directions can also improve the light quality in a room.  If you can have one window facing east and another facing west, then that room can have some natural light most of the day.  Skylights can also help with this.  Suntubes can bring light into rooms that can't even have a window. Also if a room is not going to get alot of natural light it would be better to paint it a light color.  Dark colors absorb light.  Whether you a building a new house, adding on to an existing one, or sprucing up your current abode, it pays to think about letting natural light in, before you get the winter blues.