Lighting is one of the first things someone notices when entering a home. Think about it for a moment. When you enter a house what is the first thing that occurs to you?
Your eyes adjust to the light in this house, whether it’s bright or dark.
The importance of good home lighting cannot be understated. Good lighting can brighten a room and make it feel more open and large, while bad lighting can make a space look dark and uninviting.
Besides making a room more welcoming, good lighting can also be functional. The right lighting can help you see better when doing tasks around the house, such as cooking or working.
And when it comes to your home, good lighting determines the vibes of the space.
Unfortunately, lighting can often be overlooked during the interior design process, but if you start with lighting first, you can create a beautifully curated space that either relaxes or uplifts you.
Enhance the architecture of the space
The most important thing about lighting in general is that it enhances the architectural concept of a space but it also needs to create the right atmosphere. In an open-plan living room, it is vital to create spaces within the overall space to have different possibilities when eating, watching a movie or cooking.
What you need is diversity and contrast. One way to do this is to have light at different heights, such as table lamps, floor lamps, ceiling lights and lighting built into the ceiling in different directions.
Play with contrasts
Usually, we use light to create a very intimate atmosphere or a sense of drama. For the latter, you need to think of the light as a sculptural object that will attract everyone’s attention. Also, a statement piece doesn’t necessarily need to be large – it just needs to be central to a space. It’s all about balance, so try pairing a huge ceiling light with something sleek and minimal, like a wall light.
Create the mood you want in your room. For example, in the living room, you may have a main ceiling light, but adding a floor lamp next to an armchair will evoke a sense of comfort.
With LEDs, there are many variations, from warm white to orange. By playing with shades, you can create a mood depending on whether it is a workplace, dining room or bedroom. You can have the most beautiful feature light in the world, but if you put the wrong bulb in it, it won’t look right.
Play with cold and warm lighting
For the outdoor areas of your home, create an additional zone using outdoor lighting. If the space is not lit, then at night, you only see your own reflection. With lighting it becomes part of your space.
Create an interesting play with cool and warm lighting. Some plants are highlighted better with cool light, others with warm. The cold light gives an eerie feeling but at the same time very impressive.
