Making Great Lighting Choices For Your Home

Whether you are faced with a remodel of a room or are decorating a brand new home, making smart lighting choices is critical to the overall look you are aiming for. When you go to the lighting store, you’ll be faced with a myriad of choices in lighting options. Here are some tips for making the right choices in lighting:

Illumination

One of the first things you should consider when choosing lighting is how much illumination you need for the room or area. Do you want to light a whole room? Or is it a hallway or foyer? Think first about how much light you need for the room. You’ll notice many bulbs have a wattage associated with them. Typically, the higher the wattage, the brighter the light should be.

Usage

Another consideration is how the light will be used. Will someone be reading by the light? Or is the light just needed for the hallway? Consider that a kitchen or bathroom will need a different type of light than a bedroom, den or home office. Different still is the garage and outdoor areas, which may need bright lights to light an entire garage or less bright light to light a garden pathway or walkway.

Cost

Cost is also extremely important. What is your budget for lighting? There are many cost conscious choices in lighting that are also very eco-friendly as well. Choices like compact fluorescent lights or LED lights are wonderful choices if you are looking to save energy and save money.

Practicality

You’ll also want to consider the practicality of a light. Does a room need just one light? Or does it need one main light and two lamps. Making practical choices just requires common sense.

Style and Design

Another very important aspect of choosing lighting is the style and design of your home. What is your color scheme? What is your overall design motif? Is it modern, classic, traditional, country or something else? Also, consider how lighting will affect the colors in your rooms. Sometimes a badly chosen light will make your room look like a very different color than you intended.

Ambience

Another important consideration is ambience. Maybe you are lighting a corner area where you intend to read books? In this area, you will want to consider the ambience of the lighting choices. Rather than a standard lamp, you may want to consider a lamp that more closely mimics the sun’s rays and makes it easier on the eyes to read.

Whatever lighting choices you make, remember that lights are as important to your home as any other element and can make or break your overall design success.