Here are a few design tips to help you make the most of the lighting in your home.

1. How to Achieve the Right
Lighting for Your Home
Eugene Chrinian

2. How to Achieve the Right Lighting for
Your Home
 Proper lighting is one of the most
important elements of interior design.
After all, no matter how many
beautiful pieces of furniture and
accessories you have in your home,
they won’t look their best if the
rooms are poorly lit. Lighting is key to
creating the mood and atmosphere
you desire in your home and ensuring
that you have sufficient illumination
for working in functional rooms, such
as the kitchen and bathroom.
Following is a roundup of the best tips
to help you achieve the right lighting:

3. Think in layers
 You might think of lighting as a single design element. However, when you
break it down, you actually have three main types of lighting to work with:
ambient, task, and accent lighting. Ambient lighting is general lighting used
to illuminate your space. Task lighting is higher-intensity, more concentrated
lighting for activities such as cooking, shaving applying makeup, or reading.
Moreover, accent lighting highlights artwork, architectural features, or other
points of interest in a space. Combining all three types of lighting will provide
greater functionality in your space and offer more visual interest.

4. Consider scale
 When choosing lamps for your home, there’s a lot to consider. Scale is
important, as well. Giant floor lamps don’t work well next to small occasional
chairs, for example, and neither do tiny table lamps next to large seating like
an overstuffed love seat. You’ll also want to think about how lampshades
affect the type of light you’re seeking. Linen or burlap shades provide a more
diffused-looking light, crisp white provides brighter light, and fabric-covered
shades offer more ambience (although they can also be more difficult to
clean). In terms of shade styles, drum shades are a popular choice for modern
or transitional homes, while traditional or romantic homes are best suited to
fluted or tulip-style shades. Finally, be sure to consider lamp placement,
particularly in relation to where your electrical outlets are located. It’s
unsightly and dangerous to have cords trailing throughout a room.

5. Mix and match
 A general interior design principle
is that rooms look more interesting
and feel more complex with a few
mismatched items, so don’t be
afraid to apply this to your lighting
choices, as well. Mixing different
types and styles of lighting,
fixtures, and lamps can add to a
room’s overall style and help to
ensure that you always have the
right light for any occasion.

6. Use dimmers and integrated controls
 How you control your lighting is just as important as the light sources
themselves. Dimmers are a must for almost any type of room, particularly for
setting the right mood in spaces such as a dining room or living room.
Furthermore, in order to ensure that you always have the right amount and
type of lighting for different activities, it’s important that you be able to
control the different types of lighting independently. For example, in your
kitchen you should be able to leave the task lights off until they’re necessary
for a specific activity. You can gain control of your lights simply through
multiple light switches or more sophisticated, contemporary options such as a
programmable wallbox system or wireless controls.

7. Maximize natural light
 Lighting isn’t just something to think about when it’s dark outside. Daytime
lighting is important to consider, as well, particularly for rooms that are
primarily used during the day. For many homes, this means taking advantage
of natural light—probably the most inviting source of ambient light around. To
maximize the natural light in your home, adding south-facing windows will
give you the most benefit. If you’re looking for a lower-impact solution,
consider using strategically placed mirrors to reflect and amplify the existing
natural light, or painting window recesses a bright, reflective white.

8. Consider energy efficiency
 Energy-efficient lighting options
are not only better for the
environment and longer lasting,
but they can also result in
significant cost savings. Examine
your current lighting to see
where energy-efficient LED
lighting could be substituted. The
upfront replacement cost may be
more expensive, but you’ll save
both money and energy in the
long term.

9. Get the placement right
 When choosing overhead or wall fixtures, it’s important to keep in mind the
height, position, and size of your fixtures. Overhead fixtures, such as
chandeliers, should serve as distinct focal points, but not as the sole source of
light. They should also be well positioned in relation to where the ceiling
meets the wall so as not to interfere with or block the view of any hanging
artwork. This can sometimes mean that it is more effective to choose two
smaller versions of the same piece than a single oversized version. One huge
chandelier hanging over a dining table can overwhelm the space, for
example, whereas two complementary chandeliers will create a pleasing
visual effect and distribute the lighting more evenly.