The Lighting Blog

Most people don’t pay enough attention to lighting when they’re designing their home. Usually, it’s all about the paint or wallpaper, the furniture or curtains. It’s important to realize that all of these features can look inviting or distasteful depending on what light they’re placed in.

Here are a few pointers to help you decide what light fixtures and lighting is best for your home:

1. Use natural light

It is economical, eco-friendly, and of course aesthetic to use as much natural light in your home as possible. Morning sunbeams streaming through sheer curtains over the dining table in your kitchen, the glow of sunset over the bookshelf in your study at dusk, or the luminescence of the moon over your pillow at bedtime, are all effects that you just can’t get from a light bulb. When remodelling your home, check for the directions of sunrise and sunset and modify your windows accordingly.

1. Pick the right mood for the room

When choosing your light color and fixtures, make sure you pick the right mood for the room. Bathroom lighting and Kitchen lighting are generally considered functional places, so you need bright florescent lights to be able to see what you are doing. On the other hand, the living room is a place to relax and spend time with a book or the family. Spot lighting, like a standing lamp bent over an armchair, or yellow lights with intensity controls are good ideas, so you can dim or increase the light depending on your mood or what you need. The bedroom is another place where you might prefer spotlighting. For some, bedside reading lamps are enough light for the whole room, others choose a light over the mirror, or one yellow light over the bed. In the closet, again, florescent lights will help you find matching socks. It is old fashioned now to have uniform lighting all over the house. Make sure you pick your lights based on the utility of the room

1. Accent and conceal with lighting

The right lighting can change your home from an ordinary, run of the mill interior to an artistic and thoughtful space. Use spot lights to shift focus towards a nice painting on the wall, or an antique vase in the corner. It’s nice to have a light or two in some strategic points in your garden. Leaves look beautiful with yellow light beneath them. At the same time, you can hide the flaws in your design, such as keeping the underside of staircases in shadow, or hiding cracks in your ceiling with wall mounted light fixtures.

There is no standard guide to lighting. What you choose depends on the structure of your home, your needs, and of course, on your budget. Do a little research to see what suits you best. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see your home in a new light.

Filed under: how to's, tips