Why Good Lighting Is Important in Your Home
Lighting plays a very important part in home decor. Using it well can help you bring warmth into dark areas. It can even help you redistribute your house and make it feel bigger.
Creating that feeling of space obviously isn’t too hard in a large house or apartment. But, as you’ll see today, you don’t need to live in a huge space to get the best lighting.
In this post, we’re going to tell you why it’s important to have good lighting in your home. We’ll also give you some tips on how to go about it. Read on!
Why good lighting is important in a home
Firstly, we should talk about the different types of lighting.
- General lighting: these are the main light sources in a home. It’s important to have a good amount of this kind of lighting in your home.
- Task lighting: as its name suggests, this is the kind of light you use for specific things, like reading or writing. Common places for this are tables, nightstands, etc…
- Accent lighting: this is mostly a decorative type of lighting. You use it to highlight things like furniture, paintings, or plants.
Good lighting has lots of benefits. We’re going to tell you about some of them now.
Amplifying
Good lighting has an “amplifying” effect, whereas dark, shadowy areas make spaces feel smaller. It can either highlight or distract from other decorations, but the goal is to make the environment more pleasant.
Neutral and pastel colors will make your home brighter. White tones don’t have to be boring, either, and they can help you make a space brighter. Plus, the Nordic style, which is very popular right now, relies a lot on white tones.
Dark colors, on the other hand, will make a room feel smaller. It’s best not to use them, or very strategically and sparingly if you do.
Depth
Lighting can also give a sense of depth to the rooms in your home. But you have to properly distribute the objects, furniture, and light sources for this to work.
Our tip for this is to use a different kind of lighting depending on the space. Use white light in the kitchen and bathroom, and warmer, yellow light in the rest of the house.
You could also paint your door frames white or light colors or just the same color as the walls. This will help you achieve a much brighter effect. It’s good to have glass in your doors too because it will let sunlight in and do a lot of your work for you.
More space
Along with being amplifying, a well-lit space can even help you get some extra square feet. That larger feeling allows you to create new environments. You can create other spaces based on your needs, like a playroom for your kids, an office, a dining room, etc…
The lighter your walls are, the bigger a room will feel. One helpful tip for this is to put in some mirrors. They reflect light and can really open up a room. Just remember to keep it relatively small, and to make sure it doesn’t clutter the space. Otherwise, it will be more of a hindrance than a help.
Warmth
Natural light can give you the kind of warmth you need in the colder parts of the year. But natural light can’t always do it alone, especially if it’s dark and cloudy outside.
So, here’s a trick to get that same warmth. Putting lamps or candles in strategic places will brighten a space and give it a personal, intimate touch. Besides, there’s nothing better than relaxing on the couch or in your room with some warm light at night.
Energy savings
Good home lighting is also important because it can help you save up to 40% on your energy bill. The monthly savings might seem small, but they’re a definite long-term benefit. Plus, you also increase your light bulbs’ lifespans this way.
The placement and design of your windows is fundamental to getting as much natural light as possible, and for as long as possible. So, always try to put windows on the best sides of your house, based on its orientation and internal climate.
Mood
Of course, we can’t forget about the benefits good lighting has for mood. Most people aren’t aware of the power light has in our daily life. There’s a reason seasonal depression rates are higher in places with fewer hours of sunlight. On the other end, moods really do improve with good weather and clear days.
Conclusion
Changing your lighting scheme can completely change the way a room looks. It can also help you create new decorative effects.
Knowing that you have a warm, well-lit house waiting for you on your way home from work will definitely brighten up your days and keep you going.