Lighten The Mood
Good lighting is essential in a home. The way a room is lit determines not only how the space will be used, but also how it will make you feel. You will feel more comfortable and at ease in a well-lit room.
Effective lighting creates a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home and keeps you safe. The quality of lighting in your environment can influence task performance, comfort, and well-being.
Light also has an emotional impact, much like a sunny day makes you energetic and a cloudy day makes you feel dull and dreary. Bring your sun inside and brighten your day.
Some Basics
Let’s start with these basics:
General lighting is background or overall lighting, often provided by recessed lighting. We typically calculate the amount of light needed in a room by multiplying the room’s length by the room’s width – in feet. Then that number is again multiplied by 1.5. We find that this gives us the number of watts required to provide adequate ambient lighting for my client’s room.
Task lighting is the light needed to do a specific job, usually provided by table lamps, pendant lights, or under-cabinet lights. A good rule of thumb for task lighting is to multiply the room’s square footage by 2.5 instead of 1.5 to find the proper wattage.
Accent lighting provides focus and shape to general lighting. It also can be used to gently brighten a dark and dreary space like a hallway. Wall sconces and spotlights can be a source of accent lighting. Place sconces 6 to 8 feet apart and 60 inches above the floor.
Let’s add some character
Lighting is the character that gives a room attitude. It can add interest and drama, it can highlight, it can contribute to the ambiance of a space.
Above, a 12-light chrome chandelier brightens the dining room and helps diffuse the natural light from nearby windows. Keeping the impact minimal against larger statement pieces in the room, this chandelier adds the final subtle finish to the space.
The crown jewel in the room above is the extra-large, finely woven abaca rope chandelier. The client wanted a very clean and natural yet contemporary feeling. This beautiful chandelier also shows how lighting can be a prominent art fixture in the room.
Don’t be afraid to be bold. Making a statement with this room was key for this client since it’s one of the first things you see from the entry. This contemporary chandelier adds beauty and drama to this wonderfully unexpected dining area.
The single best tip to ensure a successful lighting plan is to work with an interior design professional. That way all the decisions you make the first time will be the right decisions for your home and your room.
Contact Michelle Jett – Decorating Den Interiors to make an appointment and see how you can lighten up your space!
