Good home lighting creates the right ambiance, adds beauty to your interior décor, and makes it possible for you to perform various tasks with ease. When you have the right lighting, you do not really notice it.
What you do notice is the nice atmosphere, the person you are talking to, the home interior, and whatever task you are doing. The right lighting, simply put, enables you to enjoy your home and activities within it and does not draw attention to itself.
Here are seven tips on how you can choose the perfect lighting for your home.
Tip #1: Determine your lighting goals
Every space in your home needs to have a particular mood and function. Start with the basics. For performing specific tasks, add direct or task lighting, such as these ceiling pendants. This type of lighting provides focused illumination on the space that you are working with. Ambient or indirect lighting creates the ambiance you want and also provides overall lighting to the room. Once you have decided which one you need for a specific space, you can move on to choose lighting options.
Tip #2: Add lighting on the exterior of your home for safety and security
Proper home exterior lighting is necessary to prevent intruders. Be careful not to install light that is too bright as this will not only be very costly, it will also disturb your neighbors. Install motion activated flood lights at the exterior corners of your home to increase the level of security. There should be ambient lighting along the entire perimeter of your house, walkways, sidewalks, and the front entrance. (Editor’s Note: Double check with your apartment community before installing exterior lights!)
Tip #3: Install exterior wall sconces for décor
Add beauty to your home exterior with wall sconces. This type of light fixture provides washes of light against the exterior walls of your home and creates a warm relaxing ambiance at night. Directional sconces that point upwards or downwards provide focused illumination on architectural elements and draw attention to exterior plantings and niches.
Tip #4: Use multiple light sources
For rooms where several different activities take place, such as the kitchen, bedroom, and living room, having multiple light sources will help you achieve a variety of functions. In the kitchen, under cabinet lighting is a great form of task lighting. In your living room, a floor lamp next to a couch or reading chair is perfect for reading your favorite book in the evening. In the bathroom, add soft lighting on both sides of the vanity mirror to eliminate shadows and prevent glaring light.
Tip #5: Use recessed lighting for high ceilings and modern décor
Recessed lights are also called can light fixtures, because of the metal recessed “can” that houses the light bulb and is inserted into the ceiling for that clean, unobtrusive finish. Recessed lighting fixtures are indirect but can be directional. They can also be connected to dimmer switches to allow the light to be adjusted from dim to full brightness.
Tip #6: Add night lights in nurseries and kid’s rooms
Don’t forget about the night lighting you will keep on as children sleep when planning your home’s lighting requirements. Night lights can be very helpful in keeping small children from being scared. They also provide subtle lighting to guide the parents as they navigate between rooms. A dim wall sconce or table lamp is ideal for a nursery, providing a soft glow as parents change diapers or rock infants to sleep.
Tip #7: Research on chandeliers first before you add them to formal living and dining areas
Oftentimes, chandeliers are chosen without taking into consideration the space and the décor that will surround it. Chandeliers come in a wide variety of styles, from simple constructions with small bulbs, faux candles, or a few lights to very elaborate fixtures with expensive crystals, such as this Murray Feiss chandelier. Choose based on your current interior décor so your chandelier matches the rest of your home’s furniture and accents. Also, measure the space and ceiling height before you purchase. Make sure there is enough head room below the chandelier.
Choosing the best lighting for your home does not have to be an ordeal. If you need a little help, you can get inspiration conveniently from online lighting stores, catalogs, and interior decor blogs.