How To Light Your Home: Tips From Residential Lighting Designers

Lighting design is key when it comes to creating the right ambience in your home. Lighting can make or break the look of your space and the mood in a room.

When it comes to lighting your home, you may have considered splashing out on a stunning focal piece in a particular space, but the key to great lighting lies in the quality of light, where, and how it’s being used.

But just where in your home should you incorporate lighting design? And how exactly can you light your home? We explore these types of questions in this article.

Read on to find out how to light your home with residential lighting design.

How to light your home

1. Start with a plan

If you’re starting from scratch, start with a plan that tackles the lighting essentials. Consider any features you’d like to highlight with lighting, and think about the type of activities that take place in each room (eating, reading, working).

In the kitchen, for example, you might want multiple lighting options – bright task lighting for cooking preparation, and then the ability to dim the lights later in the evening.

Ask and answer your questions at this point of your plan, and discuss style, output, and light temperature with your lighting designer. Early planning will prevent errors and rushed last-minute decisions.

2. Think about convenient lighting

Think about how you want lighting to affect or help you in each room.

Kitchen areas will require direct task lighting. A combination of downlights and recessed lighting will help you in the kitchen.

Dimmers are also useful features in many rooms. They are energy efficient and an efficient way to change the mood in a room.

3. Consider layered lighting techniques

Once you’ve covered the technical part of your lighting design project, it’s time to consider the types of lights you’d like in your home.

Layered lighting can be used to make most of a room’s size. If your home comes with high ceilings, consider using low-hanging pendants to create the illusion of height.

However, if you’re renovating a listed building with low ceilings, uplighting will be you best friend. You can make the room appear larger whilst still retaining the charming original features of the building.

4. Make sure you pick the right luminaires

The luminaires you pick should be considered right from the start. You should consider these important factors when devising your lighting design plan:

• How many watts do the lights in your home need?
• What colour temperature would work well in the space?
• Consider energy efficient options for frequently used lights like kitchens and bathrooms.

5. Be consistent throughout your home

In order for your lighting design scheme to really make the most of its potential, you should keep your lighting consistent throughout your home.

When it comes to interior design, you should keep a consistent colour scheme throughout your home. The same rule applies to lighting design. Too many different styles can be uneasy on the eye.

Neutral, lighter tones will open up your space and make it appear larger, and incorporating downlights in your space will have the same effect.

Enlist the help of a residential lighting designer

At Hampshire Light, we have been providing residential lighting design services to clients in Hampshire for over 20 years. If you’re interested in learning more about how to use lighting design in your home, we’d love to help. Contact our expert design team or download our 2021 lighting design brochure today.