Practical tips for perfect lighting in a contemporary home

The right lighting brightens up the rooms in your home and creates the right atmosphere. For relaxation. From distinctive chandeliers to the most modest light bulbs, these choices have a functional role and contribute to a specific atmosphere in each room. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to choose the right lighting scheme for your rooms.

The right lighting for every room in your home

A photo of an open living area, noting the distinctive chandelier above the dining table in the eating nook

Before purchasing lighting elements for different areas of your home, consider the main activities that take place in each room, such as reading in the bedroom, watching TV, socializing and working in the living room: Reading in the bedroom, watching TV, socializing, working in the living room… Of course, each activity may require a different type of lighting, so plan accordingly.

Here’s how to choose lighting elements for every room in your home.

Entrance to the house

Most of the time, a home’s entryway is narrow, making any ceiling light fixture sufficient. If the latter is not desired, a couple of decorative sconces can be substituted.

Kitchen

An island in the kitchen, topped with a set of light fixtures

If the kitchen has an island, use a ceiling light that hangs above it. In the kitchen, recessed lighting in the ceiling and under-cabinet lighting (if it’s in the budget) are also popular.

Bedrooms

The goal of bedroom lighting is to create comfort. Ambient lighting is the most basic type of lighting, designed to make the occupant of the room see what they are doing and move around safely.

Examples of ambient lighting include: Recessed ceiling lights, flat ceiling lights, and track lighting. In addition to choosing a unit that provides ambient lighting in the bedroom, don’t overlook the one for the nightstand, although a dimmer light in the bedroom is preferable.

Bathrooms

Retro chandelier takes its place on the bathroom ceiling

Most bathrooms have a combination of ambient and task lighting, which is meant to illuminate a specific part of the space for a specific purpose.

Dining room

A dining room is an excellent place to display bold lighting fixtures, and they look great, even when they’re not lit. However, it’s important that they are sized to fit the architectural space, and that their style matches the other decor elements.

However, it’s also okay to differ from it. For example, in a contemporary space, the décor can be elevated by choosing a vintage or classic light fixture, provided the interior design contains hints of the same design language.

Crystal chandeliers are timeless; even in minimalist spaces, ornate chandeliers add an eye-catching feature. On the other hand, you can add some color through chandeliers in neutral or muted spaces.

Tips before buying lighting fixtures

Sunlight entering the living room through the window (photo from unsplash)

As with any design decisions a homeowner makes, the sizes of lighting elements are very important. In general, light fixtures or overhead lights that are too large are not suitable for homes with small rooms. In addition, it’s not a good idea to over-distribute light fixtures in a single room.

• Rather than sticking to one type of lighting in each area of the home, it’s a good idea to creatively layer lighting, meaning mixing and matching different unit shapes, styles, and strengths. Ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting are used to create layers of light that spread across the living room. Ambient lighting provides overall illumination, task lighting aids in performing specific tasks, such as reading or working, and accent lighting adds an extra layer of light: reading or working, and accent lighting adds visual appeal.
• Natural light also plays an important role in optimizing the lighting in your home. During the day, you can maximize the amount of natural light in interior spaces through the use of well-placed mirrors. Mirrors will also reflect light from any artificial light fixtures in the evening hours. Choosing curtains for windows that are more transparent will also allow light to flow through.
• Installing dimmers in every room of the house allows you to adjust the lighting and set different moods throughout the day.
• It’s a good idea to use energy-efficient lighting options, such as: LED bulbs or fixtures to save on electricity bills.