When you’re dissatisfied with how your house looks a year or two after a major renovation, it’s tempting to change the wallpaper, redesign the rooms, and replace the decor all over again. Before you go on another major shopping spree, however, it’s worth considering whether what you need is a total home improvement or just a lighting improvement.
The what’s and where’s of your lighting choices have a significant impact on how you perceive certain spaces in your house. There’s a chance that your current home design is good in itself, and you simply need the right lighting type, style, and location to bring out every room’s charm.
Improves Functionality
The kitchen and the bedroom have unique purposes, so it’s only logical that your lighting should be different, too. You won’t want your place to rest to give you the feeling that you should be up and about, similar to how you don’t want your kitchen to induce drowsiness. It’s good to bear in mind that the body’s circadian rhythm is affected by certain lights. When you take this into consideration, it’s easier to determine exactly what kind suits certain areas of your house.
Your kitchen, for example, is an area of much activity. Getting bright lights or installing bigger windows to let in more natural light can improve your concentration and energy when prepping meals. Your living room has diverse functions, which is why it benefits from different kinds of lighting. Do you sponsor game nights or schedule at-home movie dates with your family? Do accent lighting through scones on your wall or indirect column lights.
Do you and the children use the living room sometimes for work or study purposes? Make sure there are bright lights directly above your armchairs and couches to increase your productivity. The same thought applies to the rest of your house. Determine what activities they cater to and match your lighting options to them.
Impacts Perception of Space
Your house in Utah may not be the biggest, but you can make it appear more spacious by changing your lighting. When you brighten up corners and spread the light source, the room begins to feel bigger. A single bulb in the middle of a room can cast shadows that make a room seem smaller than it is. Maximize the use of table lamps and floor lamps, or have one installed as a fixture on your wall to reduce the shadows.
Make sure to get the help of an experienced licensed electrician to do this for you. DIYing it could cause fire hazards, perhaps not immediately, but somewhere down the line. A professional will help you install different kinds of lighting more safely and effectively. This is especially true when it comes to pendant lighting, which is a great way to shift your eyes’ focus from horizontal to vertical spaces. It follows the logic of using tall and thin ornaments to create the illusion of a bigger room. In the same way, a pendant lighting gives the impression that the ceiling is higher, therefore creating more breathing space.
Highlights Important Points
Do you have paintings or decors that you want to draw attention to? Install lighting directly below or above them. Well-lit areas capture the eye, which will make it easier for family and friends to notice artworks and collections that you invested in.
The other advantage of highlighting these focal points is that it keeps people’s attention away from less pleasant sights. No matter how well you maintain a house, high-traffic areas will always result in damages, and you won’t want those to always steal the show. When repairs are postponed, you can thank well-placed lights to remind you that your house is still in order.
Consult an interior designer to get your lighting choices right, and always hire a credible electrician to take care of the wiring. Lighting can be a complex matter depending on what you’re trying to achieve. A helping hand from an expert will ensure that this endeavor is worth your time and money.
