A bedroom is a room where one sleeps. Sometimes you may want to stay indoors on your bed and meditate or think about your life and other things. You may also want to sit at your reading table (if you don’t have a study room) and stare out of the window to get inspiration.
Also, your family might be growing and you notice that you need to create a new bedroom. It might be a basement you want to convert to a bedroom or you want to divide a bedroom into two. It’s dependent on the need at the time.
Can I Live in a Bedroom Without a Window?
Yes, you can live in a bedroom without a window but be rest assured that you will be breaking the law when you do that. Chapter 3 of the International Residential Code requires that any room used for sleeping purposes must have a window for light, ventilation, and emergency escape.
Therefore, living in a bedroom without a window is going against the provision of the law which is meant to ensure that you are safe in your bedroom.
Pros of Having a Bedroom Without Window
Here are the advantages of having a bedroom without a window:
1. Extra Space
Creating a bedroom without windows shows you want to increase the rooms in your house. Your house might be getting small for your family or your guests are increasing and everyone needs their privacy, you can create another bedroom. You can also put the house up for the normal price if you can prove that it’s a bedroom.
2. Safe Haven
If you are someone that hates the day and loves the night, a bedroom without windows is the best room for you. You’ll have your privacy. You won’t see when the sun rises nor when the sunsets. If you are a creative person, you will really need this kind of room where there is no distraction and you can concentrate better.
3. Reduced Payment
Since many people are not attracted to houses without windows. In fact, it puts some people off. So houses with bedrooms without windows won’t be sold for the normal amount for the house. The price will be cut down. This might not make the seller happy but it sure will make the buyer happy.
Cons of Having a Bedroom Without Window
Here are the disadvantages of having a bedroom without a window:
1. It’s unsafe
Really it’s unsafe to have a bedroom without windows. Even the codes of International Residential Codes (IRC) states that a bedroom must have a window for escape.
If not the full glazed window, it must be an egress window that is 44 inches above the ground and 5.7 feet wide. This is because anything can happen and occupants need to escape.
Even a bedroom without windows is dangerous because when it’s burning, it won’t be noticed until the smoke is perceived (and great damaged could have been done).
This is why you must have smoke or carbon monoxide detectors in the room and you must check it every time to know if it’s still functioning.
2. Reduction in the Sales Price
A bedroom without a window won’t be sold for the same price as a bedroom with a window. Many people are put off by this because they will be thinking of the amount they will use to make the room homely and lively. And again, you are going against the code of IRC by having a bedroom without a window. So the price will reduce when it is sold.
3. Extra Spending
Making a bedroom without windows lively and homely will cost you extra money. After furnishing the room, you have to put extra effort to decorate it; lighting and other reflecting accessories are also needed. You might have to use another color of paint if you painted your house with a dark color earlier.
If you want to have a house without a window, you have to save for those extra expenses so that you won’t be caught unaware.
How Can I Improve my Bedroom Without a Window?
In case you bought a house without a window or created out a space for another bedroom, you can’t just design it the way you design your other rooms with windows. There are things you have to take into consideration. They are:
1. Lighting
Your lighting is actually one thing that will determine how lively or full your room will look. For a bedroom without a window, you have to pay attention to it, or else some areas will be well lightened while others will be dark causing shadows in the room.
Have an overhead light on the ceiling like a chandelier or pendant lights. It will lighten the room. Make use of lamps and wall lamps also. When you make use of the various lights, your room will be full.
2. Light color Paint
Paint the room with bright colors to create a mood. Dark colors will make the room dark. Let your furniture be on the bright side also. The light color paint will also cause brightness in the room when the light shines on it.
3. Mirrors
Mirrors reflect. The lights from the bulbs and lamps will be reflected by the mirrors. It will make the lights divergent in turn causing the room to be bright.
4. Metal Fittings
Make use of metal fittings on your door, dresser, wardrobe, and other furniture. The metals will reflect the lights from the bulbs and lamps causing more brightness.
5. Glass Doors
Instead of the wooden doors, make use of glass doors. It will reflect the natural light in the other room and the lighting in the room shining on it will bring brightness to the room. With all these, you won’t feel that there’s no window in your room.
6. Skylight
You can get a skylight also. This is a transparent glass window that might occupy a partial part of the roof or the whole roof. You can’t have an open skylight because you have to be security conscious. Having a skylight gives a natural view of the sky especially. You get to even see the stars at night.
7. Decorations
Now if you are someone that just loves the natural view, there are lots of wall decals you can hang on the wall. You can get a decal of a beautiful garden if that is your choice. Place it on your wall and let it serve as the window.
You can even be more creative by adding drapes to it. You can have a faux fireplace in your living room if the whole house is without a window.
Final Thoughts
Having a bedroom without windows is not a static rule to follow. Even though it’s the general code of the IRC, there are still houses with bedrooms without windows that are being sold. You will even get it at a discount. Don’t be put off by the lack of windows, there are creative ways to go about this. Follow what I’ve listed and watch your bedroom come alive.
