One of the most overlooked elements of our homes is lighting. Often we accept that whatever our builder has included is sufficient to light our home and create the ambience we want. By thoroughly understanding lighting, you’ll be able to upgrade your home’s aesthetic simply by ensuring that each room is sufficiently lit.
And the best part is that most of the lighting we need doesn’t cost much and is relatively simple to install. You’ll see noticeable improvements in your home’s appearance by incorporating the right lighting for each room.
Lighting Basics – Different Types of Lighting
1/ Ambient Lighting
This is also referred to as general lighting and it’s the one source of light that most of us have enough of in our homes. This is often our recessed lighting but also includes natural lighting. This type of light spreads a glow across the room. As opposed to being for a specific task, this type of lighting is meant to illuminate the entirety of the room.
If you’re in an older home without recessed lighting you may be relying on a single overhead fixture which likely isn’t sufficiently lighting your space. This should be your first area to consider an upgrade. A high wattage light fixture can add additional light as well as replacing your current fixture with an oversized fixture that spreads light more evenly across the room.
2/ Task Lighting
Now it’s time to introduce task lighting. It’s exactly what it sounds like – it’s intended to create light for specific tasks. This could be reading lamps beside your favourite chair, under cabinet lighting in the kitchen or a good desk lamp for those late nights in the office.
The key to great task lighting is adjustability. Make sure you can switch between at least 2 settings so that the light is right for the time of day.
3/ Accent Lighting
This type of lighting is intended to highlight areas of interest. This could be down lights above a piece of art or even above the fireplace. The effect is to draw your eye to something beautiful in the space.
While you’re creating these pockets of warm light you’re also creating a high end look. Even the most simple artwork looks more luxurious with lighting above it.
Another great source of accent lighting are wall sconces that shine light either up or down. This isn’t highlighting anything but it’s creating warmth.
Understanding Light Bulbs
Incandescent vs LED
Once upon a time we all lit our homes using incandescent bulbs. Times have changed and in Canada this type of light bulb was banned as an import in 2014 due to the risk of fire. Since then we’ve all learned to embrace LED bulbs. The benefit of LEDs is that they last much longer and are more energy efficient.
Watts vs Lumens
With incandescent lighting we selected our bulbs based on watts which measures the amount of energy to light a fixture or lamp. With LED lighting we select bulbs based on lumens. Lumens measure how much light you’re receiving from a bulb.
The chart below (provided by Lumens.com) shows us how incandescent wattage compares to LED lumens. Remember that lumens measure light output so don’t be alarmed by the numbers if you’re just entering the world of LED bulbs.
Colour Temperature
You may have heard the term kelvin when referring to the temperature of a bulb. Aside from the lumens which control the brightness, it’s also important to consider whether you prefer a warm or cool light in your space.
The kelvin scale helps us understand the colour of our bulbs. The warmer the light emitted, the lower the kelvin number will be. For instance, candlelight registers at around 2200K. If you prefer warm lighting you’ll be looking for 2700k-3000k while pure white light is around 4000k. Keep these numbers below for the next time you’re shopping for light bulbs.
Less than 2000k – this is a very dim light which is similar to candlelight. This is best utilized as ambient light in low light areas.
2000k-3000k – this will emit a soft white glow that can cast a yellow light. This is ideal for living and dining rooms as well as bedrooms.
3100k-4500k – this emits a bright white light. This can feel stark and is best utilized in kitchens and work areas.
4600k-6500k – this looks like a very blue-white light and can most closely mimic daylight. This is best for spaces where very bright light is needed, ie office spaces and display areas.
6500k and above – primarily used in commercial settings, this gives off a bright blue light and would not be considered suitable for residential settings.
Integrating Dimmers & Smart Technology
Dimmer Switches
One of the best ways to create ambience in your home is by installing dimmer switches. These can replace any regular wall switch but keep in mind that the bulb also needs to be dimmable in order to effectively work. Including dimmer switches will transform your rooms and allow you to control the amount and brightness of the light based on your needs. This can create a warm, cozy environment at night as well as to provide low light for moving through your home during the evening or nighttime.
Smart Technology
Smart lighting is being embraced in our homes but what does that mean? Smart lighting includes fixtures and bulbs that can sense and interact with the environment and other devices. Rather than manually switching on a light fixture, smart lighting is controlled by voice commands or remotely through wireless connectivity.
You can control your lighting using a remote control, via your phone or by using voice commands. Other features available include the ability to dim the lighting as well control the colours and warmth. These are all programmable and can be incorporated into your daily routine. You can set them up so that you’re greeted by a fully lit home when you arrive home from work or turn off all the lights once you’re in bed.
Proper Placement
If there’s one thing I consistently see when homeowners install light fixtures is that the height of the fixture is often too high or too low. In some instances like a hallway it might not be so obvious but when it’s a too-low fixture above a dining table it could completely obscure the guests on the opposite side of the table and will definitely be a noticeable error. Below are some important guidelines to use in your home.
NOTE: before you begin shopping, it’s important to understand that when you see the fixture’s height it refers to the distance from the top of the ceiling plate to the bottom of the fixture or light bulb.
1/ Entryway
I love to have fun with an oversized chandelier in the entryway. It can set the tone for the home and give an amazing wow factor as soon as you enter the home. You can add additional lighting by installing wall sconces or table lamps.
HEIGHT FOR 8’ CEILING- Aim for 84” from floor to bottom of light fixture.
HEIGHT FOR 9’+ CEILING- Aim for 90” from floor to bottom of light fixture.
2/ Living Room
While we often have recessed lighting, adding a chandelier or hanging pendant can add a ton of personality to your living room. You should also incorporate table and floor lamps to ensure you have adequate light and ambience.
HEIGHT – leave at least 84” from floor to bottom of light fixture. Exception is when there’s a table situated directly below the fixture.
3/ Dining Room
There are 2 considerations when purchasing a fixture to hang above a dining table. You want to consider the width of the fixture in comparison to the width of the table. The fixture should not extend the full width of the table. The fixture should be at least 6” shorter on each side.
HEIGHT – Allow 30”-34” of space between the top of the table and the bottom of the fixture. This applies to ceiling height of 8’ and should be adjusted slightly for higher ceiling height.
4/ Kitchen
This is an area of our home that requires multiple light sources. We should have great ambient lighting as well as a source of accent and task lighting. When it comes to installing pendant lights above an island you want equal spacing between the lights. However, be sure the pendants are at minimum 6” from the edge.
HEIGHT – leave 30”-34” from top of countertop to bottom of fixture.
5/ Bedroom
Since most of our time is spent in bed it’s preferable that our lighting surround the bed. Aside from general ambient lighting consider installing wall sconces that can be used for reading or scrolling while in bed.
HEIGHT – install pendants 84” from floor to bottom of light fixture.
HEIGHT – install sconces 60” from floor to centre of sconce.
Combining Light Sources
One of the easiest ways to give your home a designer look is to spend time considering the lighting you include in each room. A single light source can often leave a space feeling over or under lit.
Harsh recessed lighting will illuminate a space but can also eliminate any warmth from the room. By incorporating layers of lighting you can create pockets of light throughout the room. Use floor and table lamps that add the extra light to dark corners. Add wall sconces and art lighting to show off special pieces or just to add focal points to the room.
The secret to a beautifully lit room is now about how much light but instead it’s about how the light sweeps across the room. It should vary in its brightness, height and angle and that’s what will create the dramatic effect of a perfectly lit room.
If you’re planning a renovation or decorating project and need some help with lighting, reach out to me. I’d love to speak with you and let you know how we can help.
If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.
