Why is lighting your home so important?
Murphy Weaver on 28 Mar 2010
Lighting really can make or break a home, even if you’ve got a shabby old place with wallpaper hanging off the walls and part finished DIY projects the type of interior lighting you have in your home and how you use it can really help to make it be a much nicer and relaxing place to spend time. Many people underestimate the power of lighting and consequently, when they’re looking at the budget for renovating or making over a place, they seriously underestimate the amount of money that they should allocate to lighting their home. No amount of paint or fancy patterned wallpaper will substitute for well thought out, high-quality lighting.
Lighting does not just have to look good. It also helps you carry out functions safely in areas such as the kitchen where you are using sharp knives and hot items. There is nothing worse than working in your own shadows in the kitchen. The lounge — although not safety critical — is another place where lighting is equally as important. You want lighting to be relaxing, but on occasion you will want it to be functional. The type of lighting you’d have on if you are reading would be somewhat different to if you’re watching a film, and these various needs should be thought about at the planning stage.
Having multiple light sources in any room is a great way of creating an ambience and enough light options so that you can create several functions of lighting. Table lamps, freestanding lights, picture lights and ceiling mounted lights are all great options and can be used together successfully to create a good lighting scheme. In the kitchen, cabinet lighting should be thought of as a necessity rather than a luxury. Having lights fixed underneath the kitchen cabinets allows you to see what you are chopping, and when you finish cooking, dimmable cabinet lights create a wonderful atmosphere.
Lighting outdoors is almost as important as indoors if you want to get the most out of your garden. After dark, lighting needs to be thought of carefully. If you provide too much light, they can contribute to light pollution and consequently affect your local nocturnal wildlife. When looking at garden lighting this is an important point to consider: only ever put in enough light to do what you need to do. Post patio lights are ideal if you use your garden for entertaining, as the type of lighting you use can be much less bright than if you wanted to read in your garden at night.