Shedding Some Light on Lighting
From function to form, lighting plays a pivotal role in your home. I’ve rounded up some key tips and suggestions on how to approach successfully lighting a room.
Some key considerations before getting started on doodling up your lighting plans (yes, you need a floor plan). I personally and almost always prefer to capitalize on natural light over artificial light and encourage you to do the same although not all homes and rooms have access to good, natural light. And also, take into consideration heaviness of furniture, rugs and wall color to determine adequate lighting. Lighter colored walls and furniture will tend to portray more light.
Now that you have a few items to think about, let’s take it a step further on the three layers of how we think about lighting. This will get you thinking about the function of the space and what the corresponding lighting needs will be. These are not mutually exclusive.
1) General Lighting is basic lighting so you can see the steps you’re walking down and not bump into tables. Think recessed lighting.
2) Task Lighting is adequate light to support you to cook, clean, put make-up on or read. Think bedside reading light or overhead light on stove top.
3) Lastly, and the most fun, is Accent Lighting which adds character and creates ambiance to any room. Think chandeliers, pendants, or sconces.
Once you have made your selections to light your space, next comes the visual temperature using the Kelvin scale. Be sure that your bulbs all match and you don’t have a random assortment screwed into your fixtures based on what you had lying around. Also, you want your lighting temperature to meet the function of your space. The more task oriented spaces, like kitchens will use cooler light (6000 Kelvin) where a living room will use a warmer, cozier temp (2700 Kelvin). I have personally found a happy medium around 3000 Kelvin, not too yellow or blue throughout my home.
Your floor plan will inform your lighting plan and electrical needs. If building new, you’ll want to have a pretty good idea on layout and furniture before meeting with your electrician. Think about if your light was not centered over your dining room table or your bedside sconces were too close together to fit your king sized bed between them. These are the details a designer can help you think through and coordinate. If you’re interested in updating and refreshing your lighting in your home, reach out, we’d love to chat!
