Diverting Sun's Rays into my house?

Question

Here's my problem. My house faces north and even during sunny days, my living room is dark and require lighting. Granted, I have CFL lights installed but even during sunniest of days, I have to leave some lights on to be able to read. My question is, is there a product that will divert some of natural light into my house without costing bundle? Since the living room is on the first floor of two story house, solar tube is not an option and fiber optics lighting is way out of my budget. Any other cheap ways to bring sun in?

Answer 1

Use a mirror.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, I don't believe there is.  Your best bet is to leave the blinds in all your other windows and cope with your lights.  You could also install a skylight, which if angled to the south should both bring in and refract more light into your room.  Even a glass slider would bring in reflections from the outside, but of course that depends entirely on the nature of your room.  Those are your best bets, sorry if I could not be more helpful.

Answer 3

If you plan to live there a while, consider replacing your windows to a bow/bay style and more square feet of window that will capture the limited light better.  Also, perhaps you can cut some additional windows into that side of the house.  Next, consider the colors you have in this room. Dark colors absorb the light. Change your paint to bright reflective colors and go with a lighter carpet/flooring. Put a large mirror on the wall opposite the windows to reflect the light that is coming in. That will also make the room seem bigger.