Do you tend to gravitate toward one side of your house during the day? The side where all the natural light comes in and invites you into the room with a bright and happy feeling?
Rooms with fewer windows can seem to feel like a cave, even at mid-morning. Think about your home's darker areas that don’t get as much natural light and fix it with the right lighting.
6 Tips for Better Lighting
Lighting contributes to the atmosphere of each room in your home, so consider these lighting tips:
Plan Out Each Room: There are some rooms that you want to wake you up shining like a bright, blue sky. Think of the places that you are working. You want great lighting for video calls and for seeing the details in your notes. What about reading? You want to easily see the page without the heat of a bulb shining directly on you. And then for the dining area, you may want softer light that promotes relaxation and winding down.
Choose the Right Bulbs: The types of bulbs you choose matter. The watts of the bulb will determine how bright you would like your space. If it is a light you use many hours per day, energy efficiency may be a wise consideration. If your fixture or lamp is a focal point, then thoroughly consider the bulb's shape and style, maybe even adding a colored bulb.
Use Spotlights for Dramatic Effect: Spotlights can be great to highlight a large picture on the mantle or a dramatic piece of furniture in the center of the room. You can also use spotlights in lighting to direct guests to a welcoming spot in your home like the dining table.
Light the Way in the Dark: Keep in mind how nice it would be to refrain from turning on a bright light in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom. You can set up floor-level lighting that will light the way through hallways, staircases, and bathrooms so that you can avoid flipping a switch. Dimmers can also be useful in the night hours when you can leave the bathroom light on but in a dimmer setting, so it’s not so shocking.
Be Consistent with Colors and Styles of Fixtures: As you pick lighting fixtures for your home, choose what theme you want and stick with it. You can keep your home more consistent when the lighting style doesn’t change dramatically from room to room. Neutral tones are more modern and make a room feel bigger. You can add pops of colors in lampshades to make it more exciting or show your personality. Dark tones add coziness and sophistication if that is the look you want to achieve.
Place Lights Where They Have a Purpose: Be sure when you are lighting your home that you are intentional about the light's function. For the kitchen, make sure the light is bright and focused enough to see what you’re cooking for dinner in the evening as you are measuring and mixing. Don’t get ahead of yourself on wall sconces and lamps, adding them all over where they don’t serve a purpose.
One of the most dramatic changes you can make in your home is the lighting. The good news is, it is relatively inexpensive to update all of the lights in your home. Think of how different your home will feel if you thoughtfully changed out the fixtures and bulbs. These simple changes can make your home more modern, welcoming, and functional. Now that you know what tips to follow it's time to take action. Update your home with all the right lighting and brighten things up today!
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