The prototypical NYC townhouse is 20 feet wide and between 40 and 60 feet long. While these specific measurements vary, unless you luck into a corner lot, the only sources of natural light in your home may be the front and back, leaving a dearth of sunlight in the middle of your home throughout the day.
Natural light is a sought-after element for a home. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing, it’s energy-efficient — helping to warm and brighten your space without electricity. If your townhouse struggles with sunlight, rest assured it’s a common problem — one that can be addressed.
What Impacts Natural Light in Your Home?
The orientation of your brownstone or townhouse is the main factor that affects natural light. In the suburbs on a spacious lot, homes can be angled to capture the sun’s ideal path. In New York City’s particular layout, most townhouses in Manhattan will face North/South. There are some exceptions, but most brownstones are ‘mid-block’ buildings and not typically located on the Avenues.
This means that if your townhouse is on the north side of the block, most of your direct sunlight will be through your front facade, and for buildings on the south side of the street, the rear facade will be your main source of natural light.
In addition to the direction your home faces, your neighboring structures will affect how light flows into your home. If the home next to yours is taller and longer, it will block light and cast your space in a shadow. Of course Manhattan does not face perfectly north south — so the light you get changes throughout the year.
While these factors can’t be changed, there are ways you can leverage intentional and purposeful design in your home to maximize natural light.
How to Increase Natural Light in an NYC Townhouse
Natural light warms your home, brightens your space, and creates an environment that no lightbulb can truly imitate. Although there may be limits to what is possible within the existing footprint and orientation of your home, the architect and design team you choose can help you prioritize bringing more natural light into your home in creative ways:
Reconfiguring your layout
When taking on a full gut renovation, you’ll have the option to reconfigure your layout. When choosing how your new space will flow, consider how to amplify natural light.
Removing walls and enlarging cased openings will decrease the obstacles light encounters as it enters your home. The famous “open layout” has its pros and cons, but in these circumstances, it allows light to enter your space and extends a deeper connection to the outdoors into the floor plate.
If one end of your home houses small spaces like a powder room or pantry, consider eliminating or relocating closed-off spaces to provide unencumbered access for large windows or walls of glass. This configuration is sometimes referred to as a “dog bone layout” where support spaces such as elevators, bathrooms, storage, and laundry rooms are grouped in the middle. This allows for your primary spaces to have more access to the light.
Replacing an exterior wall, such as the back exterior that leads to a terrace, with glass panels will immediately lighten and brighten your space. This is often easier done on the rear facade. If your townhouse is in a landmarked district, there will be limits to approvable modifications for the front facade. However, if your rear facade faces north, increasing the glazing will still allow more indirect light into your home.
If adding on is an option, you can extend your house up or out past shared walls, creating opportunities for more windows or the relocation of bathrooms and other closed-off spaces.
Leveraging every opportunity for windows
Townhome renovations in NYC don’t always allow for the addition of windows, simply because you share walls with neighbors. However, there are ways to leverage your existing windows and creative ways to add more:
Lengthen existing windows into floor-to-ceiling windows wherever possible. The taller a window is, the more light will enter your home and the angles will allow it to reach deeper into your space.
Skylights can brighten up the top floor of your home and provide much-needed light to interior spaces like hallways that may not benefit from existing windows.
In the same vein, sun tunnels are a clever way to engineer light into your home. Sun tunnels capture sunlight through your roof and redirect it into interior spaces via reflective tubes. Best added during full gut renovations, sun tunnels can make small dark spaces unexpectedly light and airy.
Transom windows are a historically accurate feature in many brownstones and townhomes in NYC. These rectangular windows above doors are often decorative, with stained glass or leaden accents. If you don’t have transom windows, adding them above doors adds yet another opportunity to bring light into your home, while paying tribute to your brownstone’s original details.
Selecting materials and finishes with intention
When updating your townhome, choose design elements, materials, and finishes that bounce and reflect light, rather than absorb it.
Paint with a higher sheen will help. An eggshell finish over flat, for instance, helps to scatter light without having an overt glossy finish.
Opting for a glass-paneled front door over a heavy, solid wood piece brings more light in from one end of your home.
Strategically placed mirrors can also bounce light throughout your home — floor mirrors can be multifunctional in primary suites, spa bathrooms, or spacious walk-in closets, while artful gallery walls incorporating smaller mirrors help bring light into a space without having a reflective surface as the focal point.
Achieve a Light-Filled Space With or Without a Renovation
Whether you are ready for a full gut renovation or simply need a refresh of your townhome’s interior, learn more about our bespoke luxury renovations. We take our time to learn about your goals — like how to increase the natural light in your space.
K—DA is an architecture and design firm that focuses on integrating both form and function into every project. Our goal is to transform your space into an inspired, elevated home that enhances your lifestyle. Whether it’s making the most of natural light, designing around stunning city views, or modernizing an inconvenient layout, our collaborative approach is personalized to your requirements.
With close attention to detail and the knowledge that every design decision demands purpose and intention, we can unlock the potential of your NYC townhouse. Get in touch to learn more about our services.
