Have you ever walked into a room and felt, instantly, comfy or cozy, like the lighting was a hug? Chances are, it was. Have you ever walked into a space that felt cold, sharp or just not right? More likely, it was the lighting.
The right lighting — it can truly transform a space, not just how it looks, but how you feel in it. Yet most of us pay scant attention to this element in how we decorate. We will be plunging headlong into the world of indoor lighting and, in a later passage, we will be shedding light on how you can illuminate your interiors with a few simple switches in illuminative technique.
Why Lighting Matters
Lighting is not just something we rely on to see through a dark evening but also a design tool to sculpt space. A focal point that once glittered is rendered unremarkable by inappropriate lighting. A clinical room is made more welcoming by the glow of artificial candlelight. A small room can feel bigger or more intimate by the type and level of illumination. Even the best-dressed room will feel uncomfortable and uninviting if it is not lit well.
Problem: Some people have trouble designing the optimal lighting scheme. They don’t know how to start, they are overwhelmed by the number of lighting options, or they’re unaware of the importance of good lighting.
Solution: Understand the Basics
1) Before we look at some tips and tricks, here are some lighting basics: There are three basic kinds of light to consider. Ambient Lighting: the general illumination for a room, or the substantial amount of light that comes from above, as with ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, or recessed lights.
2) Task Lighting: Intended to illuminate specific areas that will help you do things, such as reading, cooking or working. Desk lamps, under-cabinet kitchen lights, and vanity lights in the bathroom are examples.
3) Accent Lighting: To emphasize a particular characteristic or to provide decoration. For instance, spotlights on artworks, LED light strips, or wall sconces.
Layer Your Lighting
1) With the types in your head, let’s round them up. Recognize a good meal when you see one because a room needs a little of the same — a mix of different types.
2) The ambient light lays out the general mood. A task light follows to shine where you need it to get stuff done. The accent light rounds out the package and brings the whole room to life.
Problem: “But my room is so small, I don’t have space for multiple lights.”
Solution: You can layer even in small spaces. Install multitasking light fixtures. For example, place a floor lamp so that it can provide ambient light as well as task light. Window-mounted fixtures save floor space while providing accent lighting.
Choose The Right Bulbs Light Bulbs
The one you use can radically alter the atmosphere of a given room. Here’s what to consider. Not all light bulbs are the same. Different types of bulbs can alter the ambience of a room. Here is what you need to know:
· Incandescent Bulbs: These give a warm, cozy light but are not energy-efficient. Highly energy-efficient, comes in variety of colors and intensities, and has a very long lifetime; almost anything, really.
· CFL Bulbs: More energy‑efficient than incandescent lightbulbs, but less energy‑efficient than LED lighting, and somewhat on the cool side of white.
· Halogen Bulbs: Offer a bright, white light and are energy efficient but can get quite hot to the touch.
Use Dimmers and Smart Lighting
One of the simplest and most effective strategies to ‘vibe’ any space is the use of dimmers, to either turn them up or down according to the time of day, your mood, even the activity you’re engaging in. Dimmer switches are an easy win to improve your lighting.
Problem: “I’m not tech-savvy enough to install dimmers or smart lighting.”
Solution: Many new dimmers and smart lightbulb systems are simple to install and use. The Philips Hue system or Lutron Caseta are very user-friendly, and can be controlled with smartphone apps. That’s all you need to know to have your very own ‘cave’.
Highlight Key Areas
Determine what the center of interest is in each of your rooms and make sure that area is well-lit. In the living room, the seating area is the center of interest, in the kitchen it’s usually the countertops, and in the bedroom it’s the bed. Use accent lighting to highlight these center-of-interest areas, and the showpieces in them, and create a sense of hierarchy in the space.
Be Creative with Fixtures
One of the best things about lighting is that you don’t have to stick to a uniform look. Throughout our home, our pendant lights and wall lights come from many different decades and design styles. You can have vintage chandeliers from the 1930s, industrial pendants in your kitchen, and minimal LED strips in your living room — as long as you choose them carefully.
Problem: “Unique fixtures are too expensive”
Solution: You don’t need to blow your budget to get fashion-forward lighting. Hit the charity shop. Hit the online flea-market, Temu or Amazon. Hit up Ikea with some mates. Fashion some fixtures yourself with low-cost parts. Sometimes, all it takes is ingenuity to get gorgeous on the cheap.