Most people don't approach lighting from this perspective, but I feel that the first step in all lighting design for our homes should be natural daylighting. Even on overcast days, the sky emits enough light for most functions in the home. You won't be able to get rid of artificial lighting all together, but if we put the focus on the natural light that is free, we can save money both on installing extra lighting and spending money to light our homes during the day.

Couldn't agree more. I don't even have a southern exposure with my current living situation and I still don't need to turn lights on during the day unless I need to read something. We have become overly dependent on artificial lighting to the point where some will use shades to block out the sun and then turn on the lights.

Hi luvstress, i suggest to use skylights(day lighting system) for your dark rooms if natural day lighting doesn't work for you. Our company uses sky tunnel skylights to lighten our factories during daytime, it will definitely work on residential buildings too.