Before you upgrade furniture, replace floors or remodel a living area, consider whether your lighting functions. Lighting is a telltale sign of layout quality and one of the most economical methods to upgrade your house without busting your budget. It sets a mood and helps define a fashion. Without it, important architectural details, artwork and focal points fall level and unnoticed. When done right, lighting functions as a closely tuned orchestra, developing a pitch-perfect makeup of light, layers, flow and direction.
If your lighting choreography consists of a single flip of the change, then maybe it is time to light your head.
“Every five to ten years, the lighting trends change,” states Melissa Kilgore, a lighting specialist at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. “Shifting out a few select pieces in the house to reflect what is current will help upgrade the look of your living space.”
Lighting positioning, fixtures and functions will be the three main ingredients to think of when giving your living space a light makeover. Therefore, if you’re wondering whether it is time for an upgrade, ask yourself these questions.
Restoration Hardware
1. Am I Lighting Unusual Places?
As you evaluate the standing of your lighting style, remember that lighting also functions as art that helps define your personality, set the mood and perform practical tasks. Think of adding light in unexpected places, such as a chandelier at the master bathroom. And consider using light in unconventional ways — such as using hanging pendant lights as reading lamps.
Affiniti Architects
Bright thought for sudden lighting: Search for opportunities to install light fixtures in alcoves, tray ceilings and wall sockets to trace interesting lines. Notice the concealed lights at the ceiling alcove over the cylindrical fireplace mantel here.
Mal Corboy Design
Painting with light is one other way to add surprise. Here coloured LED lighting with toe kick lighting underneath the island and cupboards generates striking appeal.
Craig Denis
In this dining room, the coloured LED lights at the tray ceiling and alongside the rock wall include dimension and visual appeal. Notice how the light calls attention to the texture of the rock wall. Rope or strip lighting achieves this effect.
Craig Denis
“Think of lighting as the jewellery of a house, and also the more unexpected locations that you can place paint or lighting light, the further tradition the residence will seem,” says Kilgore.
Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
Another example: Emphasize the shape of a cabinet having an undercabinet and in-cabinet lighting. “I think that indirect lighting beneath and over the cabinets must be mandatory in contemporary lighting design,” Kilgore says.
She suggests using tape lighting to achieve a subtle illuminated line of sight. “Xenon lighting is an affordable alternative for indirect lighting and prices less than LED lighting,” she states.
Arnold Schulman Design Group
2. Does My Lighting Have Layers?
A perfectly lit room has three basic layers: overhead lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. This bedroom pulls all those together — the chandelier for overhead, bedside reading lamps as task lighting, and accent lighting over the headboard and artwork.
Cornerstone Architects
Bright thought for layered lighting: Consider the decorative and functional purpose of every light source. By way of example, in this entryway the wall sconces are a decorative touch, table lamps serve as task lighting and a chandelier offers complete light.
Arnold Schulman Design Group
This kitchen features a number of layers of light: The recessed cans provide overhead illumination, the pendant lighting over the island light the workspace and undercabinet area, and above-cabinet accent lighting provides the space a burst of educated fashion.
Jorge Ulibarri Custom Homes
3. Can My Lights Dim?
Great lighting should multitask and establish the mood. A dimmer is a cheap ($20 to $25) and essential tool that puts you in control of the quality and quantity of light. You are able to put in a dimming system either as a whole-house lighting control or by adding a wall socket dimmer in every room and lamps with dimmer switches.
“Think of lighting such as a radio. You don’t wish just one volume. Lighting should have the chance to be task lighting and ambient lighting. Dimmers give the light multitasking capabilities,” says Kilgore.
The American Lighting Association (ALA) estimates a dimmer switch conserves $30 annually in utility expenses. Before installing a dimmer, be sure to have bulbs that are darker.
Arnold Schulman Design Group
Bright thought for dimmed lighting: to create the most of your lighting, put in the highest-wattage lightbulb potential, then dim down it to accommodate the mood and lighting needs. Look at putting dimmers on both the overhead lighting and lamp lighting.
“As another bonus, dimming your lights 50 percent can save approximately 40% in power and increase the life of your bulb,” says Kilgore.
Gordana Car Interior Design Studio
4. Can My Fixtures Reflect Present Designs?
One of the fastest methods to upgrade the look of a living space would be to swap ornamental lighting fittings for more up-to-date fashions. The ceiling fan as a light fixture is now a little passé.
Intelligent ideas for current lighting fashions: Consider replacing your ceiling fans with eye catching chandeliers. Keep the overhead light at 150 to 300 g for optimal illumination.
Laura Martin Bovard
Mix and match your own lighting fittings. They don’t have to be from the exact same lighting family or layout. Notice how in this room the celebrity motif overhead — a look that’s trending today — the night table lamps and candle wall sconces combine styles.
alene workman interior design, inc
Crystal remains a favorite alternative for lighting fittings and is used across the style spectrum. Within this contemporary bathroom, the crystal chandelier includes a contemporary presentation, drawing attention to the underlit wave ceiling.
Arnold Schulman Design Group
Lighting choices can also take cues from transitional style, characterized by clean lines and lighter finishes. “People have been studying dark, heavy scrolls for so long that they are wanting something fresh and light,” Kilgore says.
CSN Lighting
Troy Lighting F1285SG Sausalito Five Light Pendant – $558
A sexy look in light fittings now is blended alloy, dulled gold, and foiled silver , as seen here. The end is a favorite with the transitional style since it has an antique yet contemporary look.
LampClick
Currey & Co.. Bamboo Floor Lamp, Gold Leaf – $598.40
Lighting inspired by the 1970s is making a strong comeback also. This bronze metal floor lamp with a bamboo-recalling layout captures the look.
DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL
5. Is My Lighting Focused?
Lighting design is all about the tactical positioning of light and matching the ideal light source to its intended purpose. Indirect lighting brings attention, adds layers and texture the sight point.
Bright thought for concentrated light: Pick focal points you want to emphasize, then direct a light source . “Wall sconces are great accent lighting fittings to highlight artwork and bring light to a space at eye level,” says Kilgore. Wall sconces generally cost $50 to $100.
Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery
If you want the room to mimic daylight, the ALA recommends using a bulb ranked 4,000 Kelvin or higher. (The Kelvin, or K, evaluation describes how visually warm or cool that a light is.) The higher the K rating, the more cooler or bluer the light appears.
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the next important number. A higher CRI is best. By way of example, 100 CRI mimics natural light and is ideal for highlighting skin tones and clothes. CFLs and LEDs normally have ratings from the 80s and are usually less flattering light sources.
More about how your lighting affects interior Colours
Jorge Ulibarri Custom Homes
A chandelier in the dining room should hang 30 to 36 inches above the dining table. The diameter of the chandelier should be at least one half of the width of the table.
Designing Edge
Recessed can lighting and track lights are ideal for low-voltage direct illumination. They generally charge $50 to $100 each light.
Turn Collaborative
Translucent glass shades on pendant fixtures will decrease warmth in kitchen. Hanging overhead lighting fittings for example pendants should sit 30 to 36 inches over the island work surface.
For flattering kitchen lighting, bulbs using a color output of 2,700 K to get a sightly reddish cast are recommended.
Dream House Studios
Utilize high-K halogens to get a bluer light in task-intensive regions such as places for doing crafts or homework, or paying invoices.
Ernesto Santalla PLLC
The ALA recommends track lighting for eye-intensive tasks as well. The lights could be independently adjusted to pinpoint light for tasks.
Tell us: Have you updated your lighting recently? Please tell us what you learned.