Lighting can make or break a room in your house, whether you're decorating it for one event or to keep it that way. You can use lighting as a tool to create an inviting space, showcase interesting features about your home or even create some extra safety around the house by adding security lighting. Read below for some tips on choosing lighting for your house to make it look vibrant.
Consider Types Of Lighting
There are a variety of lighting options to consider for your home. It's important to establish what you want from the light and how it will work with your specific situation before buying or installing anything. Decide which of these areas you need to light up before choosing:
- Ambient Lighting – This is the main source of lighting in a space that provides general illumination to allow you to see what you're doing, moving around, and allowing others to see the room. It can make or break your home so this needs to be done properly so it's set up correctly. Have a look at bedroom lighting ideas.
- Task Lighting – This type of lighting covers smaller areas than ambient lighting and is for when you want to focus on one specific thing at a time instead of everything all at once. For example, task lighting could be added above a desk or table if you want to read or work there.
- Display/Decorative Lighting – This includes lights used for showcasing an object such as chandeliers or lamps with a specific design or theme.
Consider Types Of Lightbulbs
There are a variety of lightbulbs and bulbs that you can choose from for your lighting. You should pick the right one based on how bright you want the room to be, what kind of mood you want it to have, and if it will work with any other lights in the area.
Incandescent – This is the most common type of bulb people use in their household for general illumination but they do get very hot so need to be handled carefully. These are not as efficient as modern bulbs since they only convert 10-14% of electricity into light (the rest becomes heat) so your energy bill will go up faster than more efficient ones too.
LED – This is another option for efficient bulbs. Most LED lighting products are bright, durable, and long-lasting (which means your energy bills will be lower). To work well with dimmer switches, look for ones that are designed for this purpose.
There are other types of lights that LED lighting guidelines that you can discover too.
Fluorescent – These bulbs come in a long tube shape and are good for ambient lighting since they cast a bright light that's easy on the eyes and don't heat up as much as incandescent lights do. They have a longer lifespan than incandescent but don't work so well with dimmer switches which tend to flicker annoyingly when you turn them down low.
Halogen – This bulb is a very small quartz glass capsule containing halogen gas under low pressure, filled with an inert gas such as argon. It emits more light than other similar-sized homes while using roughly 30% less energy which means it's great if you're looking for efficient lighting options. They are also great if you want a light that will take a long time to warm up since they're slow to start.
Pay Attention To Fixture Types
Lighting can be used in various different fixtures. While there are a variety of fixture options available, you'll find that most fall into one of four general categories: ceiling lamps, wall sconces, floor lamps, and pendant lights.
Ceiling Lamps – This type is perfect if you want ambient lighting which will help illuminate the room from above (such as hanging over desks or tables). They usually come with a lightbulb built into them but can also be bought separately. You just need to make sure your fixture has the right amount of wattage for what you want.
Wall Sconces – This type of lighting fixture is attached to a wall and comes with its own lightbulb built-in or can be bought separately. They're usually used as accent lighting that won't put out too much light but can add just the right amount of ambiance while looking great too.
Floor/Table Lamps – This kind of fixture has a stand that holds up a lampshade (and often a light bulb) which is placed on the floor or table where you need it most. A lamp with three legs tends to hold more weight than one with just two so get this if you have something heavy on top.
Lighting is an easy way to decorate and make a house look vibrant and alive while also having the added benefit of saving you money on your energy bill. You need to do some research before just purchasing anything though so that you know what kind of light bulbs will work best for your needs, where they'll be placed, and if they'll match with the space's design.
With these tips in mind, you can find the lighting that will help make your house look its absolute best.
