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If Leonard Cohen had sung that it’s through windows, rather than cracks, that the light gets in, his 

 might have been deemed slightly less poetic. Not to us, though; we firmly believe that glazing of all varieties, from clerestory to conservatory, is foundational to an inspirational space. And we’re not alone – artists throughout history have travelled far and wide in search of the perfect lighting conditions. Whether a painter’s paradise or a peaceful sunroom, we’ve rounded up a handful of the brightest spots we have on offer.

Words like ‘bright’ and ‘airy’ might not immediately come to mind when considering 19

-century mews houses, initially built to house horses rather than people. This home challenges that assumption, though, with a series of interventions that have adapted its original bones to allow light to pour in. At the front, teak-framed glass doors, gloriously aged by Hove’s sea air, attract a certain radiance, imbuing the spaces beyond with that singularly lustrous coastal light.

The crowning glory, however, is an elevated first-floor sunroom topped with a sloping glass ceiling directly below the branches of the tree beyond. Outdoorsy in perhaps a different sense than when it was first built, the house has employed light-maximising tricks that have the two-pronged effect of making it wonderfully bright and connecting it with surrounding nature. In this setting, Isabella Worsley’s sumptuously designed interiors, which make deft use of jewel tones and ditsy patterns in equal measure, are brought to life.

A masterclass in bringing the outside in in a 

 more literal sense, the once external yard of this perfectly formed farmhouse in Yorkshire has been transformed into a sunny, spacious orangery. A glass roof brightens the space from above, bringing even more warmth to the mosaic of reds, browns and ochres that make up two textured brick walls.

These shades are matched by terracotta tiles underfoot, which bring a slice of the Mediterranean to this pocket of the countryside. A well-placed dining arrangement, as in its current configuration, would serve you well from 

, with the glazing above providing handy protection from the less-than-predictable British weather.

Bridge Terrace, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

The northernmost town in England, just two and a half miles shy of the Anglo-Scottish border, Berwick-upon-Tweed is known for its striking fluvial light. This reputation is in part due to the importance of the town to the oeuvre of ‘matchstick man’ painter LS Lowry, who holidayed in (and painted several pictures of) Berwick during the early to mid-20

There is an artistic quality to the glow that beams down on the town’s wonderfully architectural landscape, including on this 18

-century house. Perched on the edge of the Tweed – hence the name ‘Bridge Terrace’ – the house has an astonishing number of well-preserved original features, including a historic bread oven and an Adam-style fireplace adorned with shell and seaweed carvings. Its abundance of north-facing windows (many a painter’s preference) makes it a perfect spot for gathering artistic inspiration or – for those more collector than creator – displaying a favourite piece.

Like Berwick, Cornwall has been a perennially popular spot for artists through the centuries, from the Newlyn School to Barbara Hepworth. It’s fitting, then, that this converted Methodist church has been in part given over to the delightful North Asylum Gallery. White-washed walls reflect light around the main space, an auspiciously voluminous and airy room with sky-high ceilings ideal for displaying art of all shapes, sizes and media. Its versatility, paired with its expansiveness, would make it suitable for a range of other commercial endeavours too.

A divine light cascades in through original stained-glass windows, each characterised by intricate patterns that mimic the paintings adorning the walls of the gallery. It’s not just the working space that has an entrancing glow about it; downstairs, an independent yet similarly well-finished three-bedroom apartment with separate access follows suit, with irradiant interiors that showcase the ebb and flow of light over the day.

As the homes on this list have shown, our interest is often piqued by interesting, sometimes surprising, converted spaces. Like the Gallery, the Old Post Office is a live/work space that has been carved out in, as its name suggests, a less orthodox space than some. But with idiosyncrasy comes fortuity, which here takes the form of the large shop window beckoning in plenty of light to what is now a gallery space.

It doesn’t stop there, though; upstairs, tall sash windows bring brightness and views to the living part of the plan. Full advantage has been taken of the building’s historic footprint too, which sits part and parcel amid the pretty and varied architectural fabric that makes up Saxmundham.

Sophie Sims

Homes

There’s a time and a place for the romance of shadows, but isn’t there something spirit-lifting about more radiant spaces? Throw open those curtains, we say

Let the Light In: five bright homes for sale

There’s a time and a place for the romance of shadows, but isn’t there something spirit-lifting about more radiant spaces? Throw open those curtains, we say

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