Lighting is one of the most important components when it comes to the atmosphere of a room, playing a major role in creating the ambiance. With so many options and designs and styles available it is sometimes difficult to really decide on a setup for each room, but if you do not get it right, the room’s entire vibe will just be off. You want to navigate the world of recessed lighting, fixtures, bulbs, lamps, and color temperature properly, so you can transform every room of your home into exactly the sanctuary and space you envisioned, it just takes a bit of thought and planning. A little help can also go a long way, and here are some tips to make your lighting that much closer to perfection.
More Than One Light Source
To begin with, do not just rely on the overhead lighting to illuminate the room, and use two to three light sources instead. Floor or table lamps or sconces can all add more ambient lighting to the room, especially if you have chosen your lamp shades well, which add extra texture to the lights and shadows. You will quickly realize that good lighting is less about just lighting everything up like you are in a hospital and more about finding the right balance between light and dark, lamps and shadows, and properly layering each type of light. Try to place those lights in key areas around a room, and see if you can do so at different heights, high, low, and middle. Whether it is the bathroom, bedroom, living room, or any other room, these are the guidelines, and stay the same.
Ambient Lighting
Let’s take a look at some different types of lighting, and first, we have ambient lighting. This kind generally sets the mood for a room, casting a pleasing, warm glow. A good example is a fireplace gently crackling away in the corner of the room, an orange, dim glow all over the room. Overhead lighting like chandeliers or pendant lights can be very ambient, or if you want more targeted ambient light like for your kitchen or bathroom, perhaps recessed can lights or track lighting.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is meant to “accent” or highlight decorations or spaces in your home, like a picture light that showcases and draws attention to your favorite painting. Do you have a favorite houseplant that you want everyone’s eyes automatically drawn to? Not an issue at all, just place a few floor lights in the right spot and your plant will almost have its own halo or silhouette. Accent lighting is a bit tougher to get exactly right, as you have to be really accurate with the light placement and angles and get it all just right, but if done properly, it can have a fantastic effect. If you have a lot of paintings or artifacts or art pieces you just want to be in the spotlight, almost literally, you should absolutely focus on accent lighting and the effect it can have.
Task Lighting
As the name implies, task lighting exists for very practical reasons, functional ones, helping you accomplish specific tasks, like chopping up vegetables for dinner, reading a novel, or folding a batch of laundry. You really do not have to put much thought into it, just get something practical like a swiveling desk lamp or standing lamp with adjustable arms, making your day-to-day multitasking a lot easier and pleasant.
Image Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/shallow-focus-photograph-of-pendant-lamp-1123262/
Light Bulbs
There are three main types of light bulbs you can install in your functions, and it is important that you know which style of bulb you choose has a huge impact on the room’s final look and feel. First, and most common, you have incandescent bulbs, very common, but not as long-lasting as perhaps LED bulbs. They also use more energy but are a lot more affordable than LED ones, and you will see many appliances using incandescent bulbs, like your microwave or fridge. LED light bulbs, on the other hand, are more expensive, but are also way more energy-efficient, last for a lot longer, and are highly versatile. You can use them for pretty much everything—indoor and outdoor lighting, ambient, task, or accent lighting—does not matter, LED bulbs are always a great option. Finally, you have halogen bulbs, both energy-efficient and inexpensive, and their warm glow can bathe outdoor and indoor spaces in comfortable light. Their downside is that their lifespan is not that long, and typically need to be replaced after about 2,000 hours.
Living Room
Your living room is for living, relaxing, and unwinding after a long day. You work here, read, watch TV, have coffee, and so on, so you want to layer the lighting here with a combination of both ambient and task lighting. Chandeliers are great for that ambient glow we mentioned, while floor or table lamps are the perfect task lights. If you want the space to feel cozy and close, opt for warmer colors, and have a dimmer switch installed if possible, so you can control the overhead lighting’s brightness.
Kitchen
Your kitchen is where stuff gets done, making it a practical room, and function is a priority here, and that is how we plan the lighting. LED bulbs are an excellent option here, bright enough so everything is clearly visible, and no one accidentally cuts a finger because they cannot see the carrot properly. Ambient lighting is also a good option if you want the lighting to be dimmable to have a cozier atmosphere when cooking sometimes, but again function takes priority. Natural lighting should also obviously always be present, so a window or two to let the sunlight and air in most of the rooms is a great idea.
If you want every room of your home to have a perfect vibe and atmosphere, then lighting needs to be properly planned out and considered. Bulbs, colors, which kinds of lighting, which rooms get which lighting—consider every detail and then make a decision for each room individually.
