Lighting plays an important role in the ambiance of a home. In addition to illuminating the house, light can also influence the mood of the occupants. We tell you how to choose lighting fixtures that can make your home more attractive.
Choosing the right lighting for different rooms in your home can be complicated. There are bright lights, dim lights, pendant lights, wall lights, chandeliers and LEDs; there are so many lights! And if you've been to a store that sells lighting fixtures, you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about.
A lot of time and effort goes into selecting the perfect fixtures that suit you and the space in which they are placed. For example, you need to make sure that you have chosen lighting fixtures that have an actual function, that provide adequate lighting, and that add a stylistic element to the aesthetic of the room. You can't put a simple modern ceiling light in a room full of antique furniture, it won't match!
This is what we will help you do. If you want to know a little more about the lighting options you have and how to choose the right lighting for each room in your home, you've come to the right place. Let's get started, because there are quite a few things to see together!
First of all, there are three types of lighting ...what are they?
Let's start with the different types of lighting you can choose from:
1. Ambient lighting
2. Task lighting
3. Accent lighting
Often you'll find that each room has at least two different types of lighting, but sometimes one room has all three. Find out what each type of light does below.
Ambient lighting
General lighting refers to the lighting source that provides the primary illumination of the area. Generally placed in the center of the room, in a symmetrical and regular manner, its aim is to ensure that the entire room is well lit.
It is lighting that helps create a certain atmosphere in an area. For example, if you want to give a festive, intimate atmosphere, conducive to relaxation or work, mood lighting should be used. With LED technology, you can use dimmers allowing you to adjust the light intensity of your lighting fixtures, which allows you to create much more subdued lighting or, on the contrary, much brighter lighting, depending on your needs and the situation.
Work lighting
Task lighting is used to illuminate certain activities, such as reading a book, working at a desk, or applying makeup in front of a mirror. These lights are never used to illuminate an entire room, but only a small part of the room.
Work lights come in all shapes and sizes. They can be fixed to the wall, placed on a desk or installed in a mirror. Some of them can even swivel or turn to go where you want and at any angle you want.
Accent lighting
Accent lighting is the most decorative lighting in a room. These lights typically draw attention to an object you admire in the home, such as a painting, fireplace or bookcase. Typically, these lights highlight something for all your guests to see.
Accent lights can be simple and elegant, but they can also be luxurious and refined. Chandeliers, sconces and lamps act as accent lights.
There are also lighting categories.
Now that you know the details on the types of lighting you can choose from, the next thing you will need to do is find out about the lighting options you have available. Let's see what happens.
The wall lights
Wall lights are always mounted directly on the wall. They can be hardwired into the wall, or a cord can be hung for plugging.
Typically, wall sconces are purchased in pairs, with each placed on either side of a mirror, fireplace or bed. Swing-arm sconces, on the other hand, are typically mounted alone as accent lighting, drawing attention to a piece of art or bookcase.
The suspensions
Pendant lights are not like mount lights, in that they are suspended from the ceiling by a cord, chain, or wire of some sort.
The primary function of a pendant is to serve as a task lamp, suspended above a dining room table or kitchen island. Their size varies.
The chandeliers
Chandeliers can be considered a large lighting system because they emit more than one light source at a time. These lights always hang from the ceiling, and they can be functional or decorative depending on where you place them in the house.
Often timeless in its design, a chandelier incorporates crystal and metal work. Crystal facets create beautiful light effects across the ceiling
Lamps
You probably already have a light fixture or table lamp in your home, but if you don't, this is another option to add to your choices. A lamp does not illuminate an entire room, which makes it ideal for additional lighting.
This category of lamps offers endless possibilities. Additionally, they are easy to move around the room and are quite inexpensive.
Every room needs a different lighting scheme...what could it be?
Almost all interiors, houses or apartments, have an entrance, a living-dining room (sometimes 2 very distinct rooms), a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. Let's see what lighting each room should have!
Entrance
The entryway is the first place your guests will see in your home, which means you'll want to make it friendly and welcoming. Don't choose to clutter it up with a whole bunch of floor lamps or accent lamps to illuminate certain areas of the room. Instead, opt for a chandelier or ceiling light in the center (this works well with high ceilings).
If you don't have a high ceiling, it doesn't matter. Try to choose a light fixture that illuminates everything evenly.
Living room
The living room is made for entertainment or relaxation. That being said, you'll want to be able to have access to "bright" light if needed, but you won't want to use it all the time. Here, floor lamps, table lamps and wall lamps will be your best friends.
Light dimmers are also very useful in living rooms; so you can turn on the light and dim it according to the mood of the room.
Dining room
The dining room needs enough light so that you can converse and eat comfortably at the table; This doesn't mean you have to go out and buy a bunch of LED lights right away!
Instead, try placing a candlestick directly in the middle of the dining room table. If you don't like the look of a chandelier, grab a few pendant lamps and hang them above the dining room table; remember, don't get extremely low hanging lights, you don't want to bang your head on them constantly.
Kitchen
The kitchen can be difficult to light because different areas of the room require different lighting schemes. For example, you'll want to put strong lighting above the kitchen island, but you'll want to have dimmer lighting in areas of the kitchen that aren't used as often.
If you have a large sink, open bar, or beautiful kitchen island, pendant lights will be your best bet, both functionally and stylistically.
Bedroom
The bedroom needs warm lighting, nothing more. You'll want to center the room with task lighting, so you can read while relaxing, or watch TV with a lamp on near your bedside table.
Living rooms work well with a dimmer switch, but so do bedrooms. If you opt for a dimmer switch, you will be able to provide brighter light when needed, for example when cleaning.
Bathroom
The bathroom and/or shower room is a place where light becomes a necessity. It is recommended to install sconces and bright LED lights above bathroom mirrors, as these areas are key points of interest in the bathroom.
Be sure to place these lights at face height, as you will get the most out of them.
Before choosing lighting fixtures and deciding on their location, you must have a clear idea of the function of the lighting you want to achieve. “The goal should be to minimize the number of fixtures and maximize their effect and functionality,” emphasizes Komal Vasa, an interior designer and lighting designer from Mumbai.
Other tips we can give you to complete our article:
- Consider the height of the ceiling before hanging a chandelier. It must be mounted at a height of at least 3 to 4 meters above the ground.
- At a workstation, place the lamp at the correct angle, to ensure no shadows fall on the work area
- Bedroom lamps should be placed at a convenient distance from the bed, making them easy to use.
- When choosing lighting fixtures, make sure they complement the overall theme of the house and furniture design.
- Choose fixtures that are easy to maintain – spare parts and accessories should be readily available in the future for replacement.
- Make sure children's rooms are bright. Avoid floor lamps and glass lamps for safety reasons.
We've described the different types of lighting fixtures, the lighting options you have, and some examples of lamps to place in different rooms in your home. You have the choice, but at least you know everything you need to know to start beautifying your interior with appropriate and designer lighting!
