How to Light Up Your Home in the Best Possible Way

You may understand that lighting is important – after all, you need to be able to see when the sun doesn’t allow it. But you’d be surprised at how many people actually underestimate the value of proper lighting, how few people actually make active decisions when it comes to lighting, or how many people are ignorant of how it affects us. Here’s a little experiment: think first of a bright, summer day; think next of a gloomy, rainy day; envision then a room painted in your favorite colour. Lighting changes moods. Lighting makes things possible. Lighting is worth your time and consideration. Here’s how to light up your home in the best possible way.

Three kinds of lighting

When you think of lighting, don’t just think about the bulb or the fixture; think instead of the kind of lighting – each kind has a different purpose. Ambient lighting is there to provide all-round, general illumination. Task lighting is there to see well for specific tasks and jobs, whilst accent lighting is used for mood and to create a certain impression.

It’s about removing or creating shadows

Don’t think lighting is just about providing light – it’s also about removing or creating shadows. This is especially true for task lighting (where you aim to remove all shadows) and for accent lighting (where you have a creative play between light and dark areas). Shadows should be avoided in some situations; shadows can be created to change mood and ambience.

Ambient lighting

The best way to think about ambient lighting is by imagining the light in the living area when there are visitors – lighting ideal for having comfortable conversations. They are usually soft glows ideal for lounging.

Task lighting

You may think that ambient lighting in your dining room will be enough – but your guests don’t want to squint looking at their plates, so hang some task lighting overhead. Bright white is usually used for task lighting – but don’t use them a lot, or your home will turn into a laboratory.

Accent lighting

Have a nice painting on the wall? Use a spotlight to accentuate it. Use accent lighting, such as the lighting solutions available from Housejunkie.co.uk.

Don’t forget that certain rooms will require a combination of lighting – for example, your bathroom will need a significant amount of task lighting (since that’s where grooming is done, and when a lady applies her makeup, she wants to see what she’s doing), but it’s always a good idea to install some accent lighting as well (for when the same lady decides to have a relaxing bath, instead). Always consider first what people will do in the area; and with a little bit of research, you’ll find the perfect set-up in no time.


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Matthew Okafor