Light It Up! Choosing the Right Lighting for Your Home
Lighting plays a critical role in how you enjoy and appreciate a space. Dimmer lights can create mood lighting, while brighter options are preferable if you plan to use a room as an office. That said, there’s so much more to it than just the brightness levels – you have to consider the range of styles and shapes available, as well as the purpose of each room.
Given these factors, choosing the right lights can be among the most challenging parts of decorating a home.
However, lighting selection doesn't have to be this way, and we’re here to make things easier for you. Before you start choosing your bulbs and fittings, here’s everything you’ll need to know.
Understanding the Types of Lighting
There are three major types of lighting you’ll need to be aware of:
Ambient Lighting: These lights are the primary light source in a room or a space. They can come in the form of overhead lights, recessed lights, or pretty much anything that illuminates the whole space. Generally, it’s the contractor who determines how much ambient lighting a room needs, though they will, of course, take your opinion into account.
Task Lighting: As the name indicates, these are light fixtures designed to ensure you have the light you need to complete a given task, such as reading a book, getting dressed in front of a mirror, or finding things in your closet. They are only used to illuminate a small portion of a larger space and are available in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, including downlights and pendants.
Accent Lighting: This is, essentially, decorative lighting. These lights are used to draw attention to an important element of a space, such as a painting, fireplace, or statement furniture piece. Some popular types of accent lights include chandeliers, lamps, and scones.
Another type of lighting people may talk about is general lighting, which encapsulates a combination of all lighting types, but commonly refers to overhead lighting specifically.
Now that you know the variety of lighting choices available to you, the next step is to determine what lights are appropriate for the spaces in your home.
How to Choose Lighting
Consider the architectural features of your home. If your home design is relatively minimalist, opting for an opulent chandelier will seem out of place. The lighting fixtures you choose should match the rest of your home décor and the aesthetic of the room in which you will be installing them.
Rooms should have varying levels of lighting. Incorporate different types of lighting, and use dimmers if you’re looking to create ambience. This keeps your room multipurpose and doesn’t restrict usage because of lighting quality.
Keep the room’s roles in mind. For example, if your kitchen space also includes a dining space, you may want to incorporate lights with dimmers. You can turn down the lights for a romantic meal with your partner and turn them back on when you’re cooking.
Think “wow” fixtures through. There are some cases where your lighting fixture can act as the statement piece in a space. However, these spaces are generally ones where the statement light is the only illumination source, such as a walk-in closet. If you’re looking to incorporate an opulent, stand-out piece in other spaces (such as your living room), consider how it will work with the other lights in the room.
Remember, with it comes to lighting, usage is key over aesthetics. While the décor in the kids’ rooms may work best with accent lights, children’s spaces should always be brightly illuminated with overhead LEDs. Similarly, if you’re a big reader, having an adjustable pendant light or lamp with adjustable direction is essential to ensuring you can continue reading while your partner sleeps.
Luckily, with the variety available on the market, you should be able to find light fittings that match your aesthetic and fit your illumination needs. However, if there’s ever a conflict between the two, remember that lighting is essential in ensuring your home is usable – and compromising on practical lighting affects a space’s usability.