The One Way I Always Ensure Homes Are More Welcoming

cream sofa in a window with sunlight shining across it — (Image credit: Katie Harbison)

Natural light is something I’m truly passionate about. It’s one of the most essential elements of any room or environment – something I notice instinctively, long before finishes, layouts, or furniture catch my eye. When I’m touring a property for our own home, natural light is always a top priority; for me, it’s non-negotiable.

The way light fills a space profoundly impacts my mood and energy. There’s nothing more uplifting than waking up to sunlight streaming through the windows, instantly setting the tone for the day ahead.

Light is the quiet, transformative force that shapes every interior we inhabit. It not only defines how a room looks, but more importantly, how it feels. As an interior designer, I’ve learned that no amount of beautiful furniture, luxurious finishes, or bespoke joinery can make up for poor lighting ideas. Get the light right, and everything else falls naturally into place.

sculpture of a woman's body on a pedestal in a hallway with sunlight shining directly across it

The right light can transform even the simplest space or small room, making it feel intentional, warm, and full of atmosphere – but the same light, if misused, can undo even the most carefully designed interiors.

My design philosophy has always taught me that light is the one element that can’t be faked. It reveals the authenticity of materials, the integrity of craftsmanship, and the subtle emotional story woven into a home. In every project, I begin with a single guiding principle: light is the design material you cannot touch, yet it is felt in every moment of living.

bath tub in a large window a with a sheer blind hanging across the top and a large pendant light above the bath

A well-lit room – whether bathed in soft morning light or softened by a warm, atmospheric glow in the evening – does more than influence how a space looks; it shapes how it feels. Light guides our emotions, affects how we move through a room, and quietly determines how comfortable we feel within it. That emotional impact is often far more powerful than any material choice or decorative detail, making light one of the most important – and frequently underestimated – elements of interior design. This is something I feel very strongly about.

I often say that I always let the architecture lead. My role as an interior designer is to create rooms that complement the architecture and the structure of a space, rather than compete with it. With that approach, natural light becomes a central consideration from the very start of the design process, influencing everything from material selections to the overall room color palette.

bedroom with a dim window letting in just a little bit of light

I’ve never believed in artificially lighting a space to make it feel brighter than it naturally is. If a room has limited or no natural light, I prefer to lean into that reality rather than fight it. A windowless room, for example, can be incredibly moody and atmospheric, and trying to force it to feel light and airy with pale colors and excessive brightness often feels inauthentic – as if the room is pretending to be something it’s not.

Instead, I embrace the darkness with deeper materials and richer tones, paired with thoughtful, atmospheric lighting. Wall sconces and layered lighting almost always work better than relying solely on overhead downlights, creating a space that feels intentional, balanced, and in harmony with its natural light conditions.

Light never exists in isolation – it interacts with every surface it touches, and it’s within this interplay that interiors truly come alive. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way color behaves on walls. That’s why I always select wall colors toward the end of a project, once I can see paint samples in each room under the exact light conditions they’ll live in.

I often use a single, consistent color across a home’s primary spaces to create a sense of continuity and cohesion. But it’s essential to test that color in rooms flooded with natural light as well as in transitional spaces, like hallways, that receive far less. The same shade can feel completely different from one room to the next – warmer, cooler, softer, or heavier – simply based on how natural light moves through the space.

Understanding and respecting these shifts is key to creating interiors that feel balanced, intentional, and alive.

cabinet with glass fronts showing plates and glasses inside

My work has always been materials first – and light is the ingredient that unlocks their true character. It’s what allows materials to whisper rather than shout. This idea is central to my design ethos and guides the way I approach every space.

Lighting a room is never about achieving uniform brightness. It’s about creating layers of atmosphere. Too often, homes rely on a single overhead light, casting everything in a harsh, flattened glow. I prefer to layer light – combining ambient, task, accent, and decorative sources – so each element serves a distinct purpose. When done well, a home feels rich, considered, and nuanced.

In the evening, a room should glow, not glare. I always think about how I want to feel in a space at the end of the day – calm, at ease, and welcomed home. That feeling comes from low, intimate accent lighting, the soft flicker of candles, and subtle warmth. Bright overhead lighting alone can never achieve the same effect.

Shadow is just as vital as illumination. Nothing excites me more than the interplay of natural light and shadow streaming through a window, how it fills a room, catches the eye, and makes architecture feel sculptural while giving materials depth and dimension. A room without shadow feels flat; a room with shadow feels alive. It’s this natural rhythm of light and shade that brings a calm sophistication to any space.

At the end of the day, lighting is what welcomes us home. The ritual of turning on lamps, lighting candles, or drawing curtains creates an emotional shift – a quiet exhale that grounds us and invites relaxation. Homes aren’t meant to be perfectly lit showpieces; they’re meant to support the movements of real life. Soft morning light for waking, bright task lighting for work, warm low light for evening rest – these shifts are what make a home feel lived in.

For me, light is not just a technical layer – it’s a sensory one. It shapes how we feel, how we live, and how we experience beauty in the everyday.

Katie Harbison is the founder and creative director of Katie Harbison Studio, a New York-based interior design practice known for its refined yet characterful spaces that balance timeless elegance with considered detail. With a background in both design and fine art, Katie brings a layered, intuitive approach to every project, marrying architectural sensitivity with personal storytelling.

Her work has garnered national attention and has been featured in leading publications such as Homes & Gardens, House & Garden, Elle Decoration, The Modern House Journal, and The Sunday Times Style. With a growing client base across the UK and internationally, Katie is quickly becoming recognised for her ability to translate mood and memory into richly layered rooms that feel both intimate and enduring.