It seems there are infinite ways to light your home for the best effect, so many, in fact, that the whole issue can become quite confusing. Of course, you’re going to be living there, so you may as well get it right. Once you do, you’ll find it really does add to the overall homely feeling and atmosphere.
The first thing you should do is maximise the amount of natural light in your home before you start brightening your home up with artificial lighting. Heavy curtains absorb a lot of natural light, so consider replacing these with lighter window dressings.
In bedrooms, shutters are the perfect solution. You can leave them open during the day allowing light to flood in, but closed at night for a blackout effect. Add mirrors to your rooms to help throw light around the room and decorate in light colours. Carpets are notorious light absorbers, so if you want to change the appearance of a room, choose exposed and sanded floorboards or a natural wood finish such as bamboo.
The choice and positioning of electric lights can have a big impact on the overall feel of a room. Don’t make the mistake of having one single pendant light — this is far too stark for most rooms. Well-chosen lights create texture in a space, adding or detracting focus at the flick of a switch. Opt for different solutions — table lamps (choose an opaque shade to prevent light spill), uplighters, track lights and so on, and layer them throughout the room so that you can achieve the right effect for any situation or occasion.
You can use light to highlight particular features. Well placed picture lights can bring your art collection to life, and draping pretty fairy lights round a window or fireplace will result in a cosy ambience perfect for a child’s room. Less is more, so although you may have several different light sources, there’s no need to have them all on at once. Make sure that any leads or flexes are concealed to avoid spoiling the overall effect.
Large kitchens can take some of the industrial style lights that are so popular at the moment. As a general rule the bigger the space, the bigger the lights themselves can be. Conversely a massive lamp or uplighter in a small space will have a detrimental effect on the feeling of the room.
Spotlights are not just for ceilings. Highlight your stairs by fitting them every other tread, or lay a line down your hall way – this zones the space. Finally, an outside light over the front door makes a very welcoming statement. Not only that, it improves your home security. After all, you want to home to be inviting to you and your guests only, not the unwanted visitors!
This post was in collaboration with Tesco. All resources I have used for informational purposes.
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