Design Mistakes – Rules for Lighting
Want to learn how to light a room properly? I walk you through what to do (and what not to do) to create a cozy, comfortable atmosphere through lighting.
I started my Design Mistakes series many years ago. It began as a way to showcase some of the mistakes I made around my home while helping others learn the dos and don’ts of home design. Well, it quickly turned into my most popular series here on the blog!
Here are the top five posts from the series. Or you can peruse them all right here.
- Matching Furniture – A Big No-No
- Hanging Wall Art Way Too High
- Buying the Wrong Size Rug
- How Not to Display Throw Blankets
- The Biggest Painting Mistakes
Design Mistake – Relying Only On Recessed Cans
Lighting is a tricky component when it comes to design. You have to think about fixtures, recessed lighting, lamps, bulbs, wattage, color temperature – there’s a heck of a lot going on here!
And the biggest mistake I see is when people don’t really give much thought to the general lighting in their homes and instead rely solely on the overhead lighting to illuminate every space. Ceiling lights aren’t going to make your home look its best.
You can have a gorgeous room, but it will never feel right with bad lighting.
Lighting affects the mood, energy, and atmosphere of a room and it shouldn’t be an afterthought. Lucky for you, I’m here to review the rules for lighting and give you ideas on how to change your lighting for a flattering look.
My Rules for Lighting
I always say rules are meant to be broken. So consider these guidelines as you figure out the best lighting plan for your space. But, trust me, incorporating these ideas and lighting tips into your home will make a HUGE difference.
Every Room Needs 2-3 Light Sources
First, don’t rely solely on the overhead lighting to illuminate your room.
Try to have light from two to three sources in every space. Floor lamps, sconces, and table lamps can all bring additional ambient lighting into your rooms. It’s all about finding the right balance as you layer each type of light.
To really make a space feel well-lit and comfortable, place these lights in key areas around a room. And also try to place them at different heights – high, middle, low.
This is the guideline, no matter the space. Whether it’s a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen, these spaces should all have various light sources and light levels.
Our main bathroom has multiple light sources. We have recessed canned lighting, a flush mount fixture, and then sconces on the wall, all at different levels. This is the perfect combination for a layered look and it evenly disperses the light throughout the room.
Even though the bathroom has a large window with natural light, you want to ensure that you get a good amount of light from fixtures as well.
Lighting Ideas for Each Room
Here are some light source ideas for different rooms in your home.
- Living Room – Use a combo of floor lamps, table lamps, and overhead lighting that is dimmable for your living room lighting.
- Bedroom – You want the lighting to feel cozy. Opt for sconces or table lamps. We have a ceiling fan in our bedroom, but rely on the beside lamps for evening light instead of the harsh overhead fixtures when winding down for the evening.
- Bathroom – You’ll want an overhead light (especially in the shower), and then wall lights near the mirror (either flanking it or above it).
- Kitchen – Overhead lighting should be crisp and bright and don’t forget task lighting near the kitchen island and counters. Add in additional light sources with pendants, under-cabinet lighting, and in-cabinet lighting. This blog post dives into our kitchen electrical plan.
Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your lighting too! We added tape light to the inside of our glass cabinets and we can control the color and brightness with a remote control. These accent lights are great for parties! You can read more about all of the lights we have in our kitchen over in this blog post.
Light Bulbs Matter
Light bulbs are where things get tricky. Color temperature? Wattage? Kelvin? Lumens? What does it all mean?! It’s definitely confusing, but this post breaks it down in full detail.
We opt for LED bulbs (instead of incandescent bulbs) because they last forever and they’re energy-efficient. The technology of these bulbs has changed dramatically and you can now find a wide range of colors and brightness.
In our house, I don’t want things to be too blue or too yellow. That’s why I purchase “soft white” bulbs, which are usually 2700 kelvins. The higher the Kelvin, the bluer the light looks. 2700 is the perfect “color” for our home and offers a warm glow. In terms of brightness, I opt for 800 lumens.
When we renovated our house, we added recessed lighting to every single room and used these LED cans. They don’t even require light bulbs (so cool!) and you can change the color temperature directly on the back of them! I have them all set to “soft white” which emits a warm light. If I wanted one room to be a little cooler, I could easily pop it out and change the switch on the back.
We also put them all on dimmer switches. You can even retrofit your old cans with these and they’re easy to install. You basically just screw them in, like a light bulb.
Don’t Forget Dimmers & Smart Technology
Dimmers are always a good idea and it isn’t too difficult to swap a normal switch for a dimmer switch. (It’s an easy DIY project and here’s my video tutorial.)
A dimmer allows you to change the lighting, based on the mood or activity in the space. Put overhead lights on a dimmer when possible, and you can even put lamps on a dimmer.
All of our lamps are hooked up with our Amazon Echo Plus, so I can simply tell Alexa to turn on the lamps in the front of the house or in the bedroom, every day. I have a nighttime ritual of going around the house around 6 pm, where I’ll lower the shades, light my favorite candle, turn off the overhead lights, and turn on the lamps.
You have to plug the lamps into a smart plug to make it work, but it does feel pretty cool and saves me time.
Outdoor Lighting Matters Too!
My rules for lighting apply to the great outdoors too! We like to think of our backyard as an outdoor room and an extension of our home. Lighting makes the space feel special at night. From string lights, to candles, to lanterns, and even tiki torches, these all work together to make it feel magical. You can read all about our outdoor lighting setup in this blog post.
Are you ready to showcase your home in a flattering light with these rules for lighting? With a few more light sources, the right bulbs, and perhaps some smart technology, you can create a dreamy and layered space.
Casey
