Product Spotlight: Dulux Trade Light + Space

Ask customers what they'd like more of in their homes and space and light are sure to be up there at the top of the list. Our customers' homes are starved of natural light more than ever before. This can be attributed to several things, from the popularity of basement excavations to the rise of small space living and lack of storage. Add to this winter's darker days and long nights and we've a nation of homes that need lightening up.

It goes without saying that daylight can improve the appearance and feel of a home and has excellent colour quality. The full spectrum light it produces ensures that objects lit by daylight appear natural, with their true colours. But this demand for light-filled homes is about more than aesthetics. Good levels of daylight not only help to make spaces look good, but can have a positive effect on inhabitants' wellbeing too. This is where Dulux Trade's Lumitec technology, found in the Light + Space range of coatings can really make a difference to clients' homes and spaces.

There is widespread research on the benefits of daylight and sunlight, although this work has rarely been focused on the home. According to the UK Green Building Council (UK GBC), natural light in office spaces has been shown to improve quality and quantity of sleep and reduce sick leave. In healthcare environments, it has been shown to improve recovery times of long-stay patients and reduce anxiety and medication. The relevance of these studies to a home environment in which we sleep, work, rest and play is self-evident.

On an emotional level, people enjoy and feel a sense of wellbeing in daylight and sunlight. Prolonged lack of daylight can have psychological effects: for example, at the extreme end of the spectrum, some people are affected by conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during dark winters.

Last but not least, it should be remembered that daylight is a free and zero-carbon source of light - good daylighting of our homes means less energy is used for electric lighting during daylight hours.

Dulux Trade Light + Space offers customers a quick and cost-effective solution to combating gloomy spaces thanks to its unique Lumitec technology, which reflects 12 percent more daylight than conventional emulsion paints in a similar hue and intensity*.

Light + Space helps to draw natural light through spaces and by being more reflective and less absorbent of light, it uses up to 22 percent less light energy ** as lighting can be set to a lower level or switched on for shorter periods. By magnifying the natural light available in a space, Dulux Trade Light + Space can help rooms appear brighter, larger and give the illusion of higher ceilings, in turn helping to reduce stress and anxiety.

Light + Space can be used for any home or commercial space where a conventional wall paint would be used to help increase light levels. The fan deck offers 26 subtle, off-white tints as well as white, meaning your clients needn't compromise on colour to keep their spaces looking bright and spacious.

It's particularly helpful in smaller rooms to give the illusion of more space and north-facing rooms to help maximise and increase light levels. Light + Space is available in Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt and Dulux Trade Diamond products, helping keep spaces light and bright all year round and looking good for longer.

Find out more about Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt Light + Space

**BRE Test Report: Light levels into model rooms with different paint finishes. Test Report Number: 237065.