When thinking about the flow of space, ambiance, and atmosphere in your home, lighting can be one of the most fundamental elements. Brighter lights can make you feel alert and awake, whereas dimmer, softer lights can be relaxing and sleep-inducing.


1. Make a lighting plan

If you're starting from scratch or redecorating a room, create a mini brief or lighting plan that tackles the essentials. Think about what activities occur in each room (eating, relaxing, working), the key features of a room you want to highlight, and what architectural boundaries you may need to consider. Consider the style, scale, output, and even color temperature of lights before rushing into design decisions. Early planning makes for fewer headaches and rushed last-minute decisions.



2. Layer your lighting

Take a layered approach to light with different light sources across different levels to create ambiance and interest in a room. Use lighting to make the most of a room's size and shape –uplighting makes a room feel larger, low-hung pendants will create an illusion of height, and lighting clusters make large rooms seem cozier.





3. Make sure the lighting is helpful

Consider what tasks you may be undertaking in each room where lighting can affect or aid you. Cooking requires more concentrated lighting, therefore a combination of bright downlights and recess lighting, in cabinets and above stove tops, is useful. For reading, flexible and directional lighting aimed away from you is better. Powder rooms require a combination of sidelights and downlights. Dimmers will quickly become your new best friend, providing an energy-efficient and effective way to quickly change the atmosphere and warmth of a room.


4. Choose the bulb carefully

The bulbs you choose should be more than an afterthought, racing through the supermarket when you realize they've blown. You should consider the following:

  1. How bright do you need your space (watts)
  2. What atmosphere are you trying to achieve (color temperature,)
  3. Should energy efficiency be considered (for more frequently used lights)



5. Use spotlights to highlight your favorites

Consider what tasks you may be undertaking in each room where lighting can affect or aid you. Cooking requires more concentrated lighting, therefore a combination of bright downlights and recess lighting, in cabinets and above stove tops, is useful. For reading, flexible and directional lighting aimed away from you is better. Powder rooms require a combination of sidelights and downlights. Dimmers will quickly become your new best friend, providing an energy-efficient and effective way to quickly change the atmosphere and warmth of a room.


6. Make your guests feel welcome

Isn’t it nice to dine in a well-lighted space? Well, no one wants to eat in a dark dining area! No one wants to eat without seeing the food or looking at the person he or she is dining with. Spotlights work well pointed at the center of a dining table to draw people in. Dining areas with suspended lighting like chandeliers or pendant lights look nice. When you hang your lighting, whether it’s an enclosed room or an open plan, you have to make sure that the light fixture is placed center over the dining table that's why designing a home lighting plan is a crucial and effective part.

7. Light the way at night

Midnight bathroom breaks are made worse with harsh lighting that causes temporary blindness upon flicking a switch. Invest in directional floor-level lighting in hallways, staircases, and the bathroom to create subtle warmth and a guide.


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