Shine life into your house with good lighting. A well-placed lamp, natural light, or overhead lighting can transform a room from looking dingy to becoming spacious and welcoming. It’s amazing how light can change the atmosphere of the place, without you having to spend loads of money on the interior. So where can you start?
There are so many tips and tricks out there that interior designers use. You don’t have to splash the cash or pay someone to work the magic for you. Instead, you can take on the project yourself and change the way your house feels through the use of lighting. There’s a huge range of lamps, bulbs, and ways to bring in natural light. To get you started on brightening up your home, we’ve picked all our favourite ways to improve lighting in a house.
1. Think About the Overall Effect
How do you want your home to feel? There’s a range of bulbs to buy, from warm, orange ones to cold, blue lighting. Also, make sure you have the right tools in place, like a federal pacific electric panel, to power your home properly. The overall feel of your home is crucial, so decide on what kind of lighting you want in the hallway. We’d recommend brighter lights for dingey places, as hallways tend not to have windows, therefore they lack natural light.
2. Provide a Range of Lighting
Decorate your living room with layered lighting. Think beyond the overhead light by experimenting will lamps. A good rule to go by is to aim for three sources of light in each room. This will help you control the atmosphere you want to create, as overhead lighting can be too harsh. Place lamps in dark corners and switch them on for a more cosy feel to a room.
3. Introduce Dimmers
Sometimes you want subtle, low lighting to mellow the mood. Dimmers are ideal for this and give you more control whilst helping to reduce your energy bill. So, replace normal switches with dimmer switches. You can use them to t alter the mood and avoid harsh, bright lighting, which can distract from the natural light in a room.
4. Invite Natural Light Inside
Natural light brings life and freshness to a room. Also, sunlight has a lot of health benefits, like boosting your mood, so we highly encourage you to invite it into your home. If you can, install a skylight in places that lack windows. A simple way to encourage more light is to have curtain holdbacks that will pull your curtains fully away from the window to stop them from blocking light.
5. Remember Outside Lighting
Garden lights add class, style, and security to your home. Fairy lights and garden-path-lights look lovely when you’re having a drink in the summer evening. They add a welcoming, friendly feel to your property. Lighting up your outside area will also deter burglars as they target houses with dark corners for them to hide.
6. Consider Candles
When we think of lighting most of us will instantly think of electricity-fuelled lights. But candles are a beautiful way to add warm, romantic light to any room. There is a range of candles that you can choose from, and many will release lovely smells in your home. The bathroom is a great place to place candles, and it’ll make your baths more relaxing.
7. Invest in Smart Bulbs
Ditch your old light bulbs for smart ones that you can control from your phone. They allow lighting to be customised, for example, you can set them on a timer so they turn on only when you’re at home. You can personalise the system by adjusting the brightness on a phone app. Also, they are more energy-efficient, so are definitely worth the extra money.
8. Use Reflection
There’s more to lighting than a light bulb. You can play around and brighten up a room by adding mirrors. They will reflect the light making the room look brighter and more lit up. Place a light source, like a lamp, in front of a mirror, as this will reflect a lot of light. This method could help you save on the amount of light you need to place in the room.
9. Consider Practicality
Each room in your house will need a different kind of light. Your office, for example, will need good reading lights, as dim lighting will strain your eyes whilst you’re working. Offices in the home benefit a lot from natural light, as it’s good for the eyes and it boosts your mood. Your bedroom will probably need a range of light sources depending on what activity you choose to do there.
10. Plan Before You Buy
Incorporate your lighting into the design of your house. Think about luxury interior lighting that fits with the rest of your home. Lighting is essential, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring, so have fun with it! Place lights in unexpected areas, add funky lamps and buy interesting chandeliers to modernise your home with lighting.
Brighten Up Your Home…
A good, well-placed light source can bring vibrance to your rooms and you may be impressed with the difference it makes to your home. Don’t underestimate the power of a warm lamp or natural lighting, as both have their rightful place in a property. When you’re deciding on what type of lighting to put in a room, ask yourself how you want to feel when you relax in that place.
If you’re making any major changes to your lighting system, then remember to get an electrician involved to avoid any mishaps. Remember to always tidy away wires, as they look messy and they create tripping hazards. Try not to stick to one central light source, but be playful with your designs! And do be careful with the voltage of a bulb. Finally, kick back with your favourite book and enjoy.