Many experts have been dealing with the importance of lighting and its impact on our mood. Depending on the type of room, there are different types of lights that should be utilised to achieve the desired effect. The introduction of compact fluorescent or LED bulbs also brought about a much wider range of colour temperatures for home lighting, usually from 2,700 K (warm, candlelight-like light) to 5,000 K (cold).
Of course, it’s completely up to you to decide what kind of light you’re going to introduce to each room, but there are some tips that designers have come up with to help us choose the best possible lighting for each room at our homes. Bearing in mind the fact that we turn more than 80% of what we see into emotions or mood, we can safely assume that the importance of choosing the appropriate light.
Hallways
This part of your home is the last one you enter before leaving your home, or the first one you see once you come in, so it should be quite bright. Bright spaces usually make people feel more at ease.However, if you have some work of art that you’d like to emphasise, you might want to consider some focused lighting, which will not only make this feature prominent, but also set the tone for the rest of the house.
Living room
This room usually needs a lot of light, but choosing a cooler light will add a touch of calmness to the atmosphere.
On the other hand, if you opt for a darker light, you might fall into a trap of making the atmosphere too dramatic, but if you get it right, you’ll create a space that encourages relaxation and conversation.
Dining room
If you choose bright lights, you’ll have a more cheerful and sociable atmosphere. Still, a less bright option will make the room more intimate.
Bedroom
Unlike most other rooms, the bedroom is most often the room where lights are not expected to be very bright. Namely, people like to choose soft lights to help them fall asleep or gradually wake up.
However, there are more and more people who like to have their bedrooms quite bright, especially in the morning, to help them get ready and alert as soon as possible.
Study
If you use this room for something productive, you’d better install some mid-range ambient light, which resembles daylight, since it provides a sense of calmness.
An extremely bright colour would make you feel stressed and tense, which is why you should go for a soft light that gives enough illumination.
Garden
Those who have adequate lights outside are bound to spend more time in their garden. Since the purpose of spending time in the garden is to get as close as possible to nature, you should probably choose lights with a green or blue hue.
Reflect natural light
Introduction of mirrors always increases the amount of natural light in a room, which is something that might be more than welcome. For example, placing a mirror opposite a window in a dark room will have an amazing effect.
Recessed lighting
Whenever you need more light, you might go for recessed lighting, with halogen or LED lights, such as those provided by Industralight. If you’re concerned about the price of such an investment, think about the money you will save in the long run, as these lights last long.
Dimmers and zones
Although not all bulbs can work with dimmers, they still might be a good option which is worth considering in rooms where the amount of light should vary in accordance with the purpose.
What might be even more useful is to have zones created, so that you can better regulate which area you want illuminated at a particular moment. This will allow you to both save energy and achieve the desired effect much easier.
Smart home, smart lights
If you can afford it, having your home automated will help you set various customised lighting scenes for every room in the house. Just by pressing a button you can change the atmosphere in any room instantly and without any fuss.
It’s true that this option requires substantial funds, but it greatly improves the living conditions and also increases the property value by much more than the investment. So, you can think about it as a shrewd business investment, as well.