Lighting Up Your Life
When designing your home or renovating a room, lighting is an important aspect that often gets overlooked. Window placement is one consideration, but the actual light fixtures and bulbs you are going to use require some extra thought, too. Proper lighting can revitalize a room or serve the design an injustice, depending on how much attention you dedicate to the decision. Here are a couple of lighting tips so you can enjoy your room to the fullest.
- Safety is a primary concern. Whether you are lighting your home’s exteriors or a hallway in your basement, make sure the lights are situated to create a safe path where you are walking. For exterior lighting, you might want to include some motion-activated lights for extra security.
- Decide whether your lights are going to be more functional or more aesthetic. While lights can definitely fulfill both desires, some rooms might call for one more than the other. You might find a light that you think will look great in your kitchen, but if it isn’t very bright, preparing meals might be more difficult than you anticipated.
- Don’t limit yourself to one light source per room. You can use a creative mix of hanging fixtures, track lighting, and floor lamps to emphasize different aspects of your room.
- For children’s rooms and nurseries, night light options are nice to have, especially with dimming options.
- High ceilings generally call for recessed lighting. You can choose the direction the light points and fading features can change the room’s environment with just the flip of a switch.
- Bathrooms have a lot of opportunities for great lighting, but they are often overlooked. Feel free to use more than one lighting element for the bathroom, especially if the space is large. Choosing appropriate light bulbs is also an important element of your bathroom. Halogen lights are standard, but fluorescent lights are also making strides.
Overall, taking the time to think about the lighting in your home is a worthwhile investment of your resources and energy. Take full advantage of the supplies and idea books around you to discover your lighting priorities, purposes, and the styles you most prefer.