‘In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary’ Aaron Rose.
Light is so important for a room. Good lighting should not scream in your face or be the first thing that you notice about a room, but it should set the tone, create an atmosphere and enhance the room. However, getting lighting right can be tricky. You want calm and relaxing in one room, and bright and invigorating in another, depending on what that room or space is used for. Here we are going to look at some simple tips to help you get the lighting in your home just right. Ready to light it up? Let’s go!
The different types of lighting
To get lighting right, you need to understand the different types of lighting. According to The Spruce, there are three different layers of lighting: ambient, task and accent.
Ambient lighting: This is the first ‘layer’ of lighting, and is your main form. This might be your ceiling lights and natural light. It’s the primary source of light in your room.
Task lighting: This is as the name describes – lighting that you use to carry out a task, such as a desk lamp, reading lamp or vanity lighting. This also includes floor lamps and table lamps.
Accent lighting: This is the final layer of lighting and is, again as the name describes – lighting that provides an accent to something. This might include candles, picture lights, and cabinet lighting. Many people see this as mood lighting, but it is much more than that. They can be used to highlight architectural features and important objects, and to take attention away from the things that are not quite right.
Getting the light right in a room involves using carefully balancing these layers of lighting and using them in a way that enhances the room and creates a particular mood.
Choose the right tools for your ambient lighting
The first thing to do is to focus on your ambient lighting. Ideally, your room should have plenty of natural light as its first layer, as this makes rooms feel bigger, brighter and can help to lift the mood. If natural light is short, large mirrors can be used to add depth and space. Most people choose to have a central ceiling light in each room. This may be a chandelier type fitting, strip lighting, pendants – and you can even put in a smart wifi light bulb to make life even easier for you!
Choose the task
Once you have the ambient lighting sorted, it is time to think about your task lighting. Obviously, before you can do this, you need to choose the task that you want your lighting to do. In a study, for example, you will want your lighting to give off a focused amount of light over your work. In a bathroom, you may want vanity lighting in order to do makeup. Some rooms, such as the living room, for example, have many different uses, and your task lighting needs to reflect that. This is where floor lamps or lamps with dimmer switches are useful – you can have it on full brightness for reading, and turn it down when you need something a little more cozy and intimate for relaxing.
Accentuate the features
This is the fun bit of lighting a room and what can really set your room apart from others. It is all about putting an individual slant on your lighting scheme and thinking about how you want the room to look and feel at a particular time. It might mean candelabras and tea lights carefully placed to add atmospheric shadows, or subtle lighting to shelving or cabinets to highlight that exquisite China collection. Think of this stage as adding the finishing touches to a painting. These would include accent lighting like LED wall lights that add to the lighting already placed in the room.
While you are working on creating the perfect light scene for your home, your window must get the right amount of attention too. Framing your windows in the right way, accentuating their features can work in unison with your artificial lighting. Using some ornate drapery rods can add detail to the decor without disturbing the room’s flow. Drapery Rods Direct has a great selection of rods that will work perfectly in a wide range of spaces.
Think about shadows
Shadows, as we mentioned above, do not always have to be a bad thing. Sometimes, they can add to the ambiance of a room and create a sense of visual drama, but they do need to be carefully thought about. You do not want corners of the room to be lost to them, or for one to be cast over the TV or in front of the focal point of the room.
Lighting can make or break a room. Get it right, and a room can look and feel warm and welcoming. Get it wrong, and it can look stark and uninviting. Spend some time playing about with the different layers of lighting, thinking about tasks, shadows, and brightness in your room and see the difference it can make.
