Best Lighting Tips for Every Room in Your House

We spend a great deal of time and money picking the right lounge, the perfect flooring and wall colour for our homes, and yet all that hard work can be undone with incorrect lighting. To get your lighting right, we need to understand the different lighting requirements for each room. Here are the best lighting tips for every room in your house.

If you’re searching for the best licensed electrician in the Brisbane area and surrounds (Alderley, Ashgrove, Bardon, Enoggera, Paddington, The Gap), look no further than Allyn White Electrical.

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Know The Purpose Of Each Lighting

Before we start, know that rooms are usually made up of a combination of the following lighting options: • Task lighting: Refers to light that is for a specific purpose like reading, cooking or study. These include a desk, floor and table lamps, plus under cabinet lighting in the kitchen. • Ambient lighting: Refers to the general lighting in a room and provides the main illumination, usually the main ceiling light, wall lights or downlights. • Accent lighting: refers to specialty lighting that is usually used to add drama to any room, such as feature pendants or lights to illuminate artworks or architectural details.

Ligthing Tips For Every Room In Your House

Kitchens

Good general lighting is best achieved with LED downlights. As well as lighting up the room, you can position them over benchtops so there are fewer shadows being cast on them while you work. You can improve this even more by installing lighting under the cabinets. Thin LED strip lights are perfect for this. They provide a crisp, clean light without being too visible. The latest trend is to install designer pendant lights over a breakfast bar or island, combining style with function.

Bathrooms

With its emphasis on personal grooming that requires viewing oneself in a mirror, the bathroom requires careful consideration of lighting placement. A common lighting design for older bathrooms may feature a central ceiling-mounted fixture plus a fixture above the mirror. An improved lighting plan would eliminate those fixtures and replace them with three wall sconces, two on either side of the mirror, and one on an opposing wall (offset from mirror position).

Living Rooms

Because they’re used in so many different ways, living areas need the greatest range of lighting types. Downlights are good for lighting up the whole room but put them on a dimmer so you can tone it down when you want things a bit more intimate. Floor or table lamps around lounges provide good task lighting for reading and also soft ambient light if you’re watching TV. A striking pendant light over a dining table adds an interesting feature and casts a pool of light making it feel welcoming and inviting.

Bedrooms

Bedside reading and closet lighting are two of the primary concerns in a bedroom lighting plan. For bedside reading, lighting experts suggest wall-mounted light fixtures with adjustable arms so that the light can be directed on the reading material. Each bedside light should operate on its own switch, either directly on the fixture or a wall switch within easy reach. A pendant light is also a very good option for your bedroom lighting. It can add character to the room along with light. Putting it on a dimmer switch will allow you to control the mood of the room through lighting. Bedside lamps provide good task lighting for reading while a desk lamp is essential for study desks or offices.

Home Offices

Identifying where particular tasks will take place in a home office is the first step to designing a lighting plan for this important room; reading books or paperwork, working at the computer, and talking on the phone are common tasks. A key consideration is to ensure that a light fixture is not reflected in a computer screen, so knowing the position of the computer—which may be limited by the location of outlets and internet cables—is essential. A task light for the desk area should be positioned to minimize shadows and reflections, so place it to the right or left side of the occupant's main work orientation. If the room's layout permits, positioning a reading chair next to a window allows for natural light to be used for reading during the day. A table lamp can provide task lighting for reading at night.

Outdoors

Several purposes are served by outdoor lighting, including safety (on pathways), security, and pure aesthetics (playing up a beautiful plant or tree). Avoid the mistake of using too much light outdoors. Brighter does not always mean better. By creating a super bright area, you have also created super dark areas, and it is unsafe. The front door is one of the few outdoor areas where a brighter light is acceptable, with a traditional lighting plan calling for two wall-mounted fixtures flanking the door.

Hire a Licensed Electrician in Brisbane

If you need help with designing the best lighting ideas for every room in your house, contact Allyn White Electrical today. With over 45 years of experience in all aspects of domestic, industrial, commercial and emergency electrical work, Allyn will be able to assist with your electrical problems in Brisbane.

For a free quote by a licensed electrician call 0416 235 641 or simply complete the online enquiry form and we will call and arrange to quote your switchboard and electrical requirements. Our charge out rate remains the same during the week, weekends and after hours, so don't hesitate to contact us today!

sources: hgtv.com, homestolove.com.au, bhg.com.au