The importance of choosing the right lighting for your home cannot be overstated. Lighting’s function goes way beyond just brightening a dark room or space. Lighting can set the tone for your entire home and make or break how someone feels there.
Whether you’re lighting your living room or your patio, choosing the right light that will complement the architecture and design of your home is an integral part of creating an atmosphere that’s both functional and inviting. In this article, we will give you our best tips for choosing the best light for the inside and outside of your home.
Three Lighting Functions
When it comes to choosing lighting for inside or outside, it’s important to keep in mind the three different types of lighting you may need in your home: ambient, task, and accent.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the primary source of lighting in certain rooms of your house and serves as the foundation of all lighting in a room or area. This type of lighting provides a sense of warmth and helps give a room more depth.
Indoors, you will often find ambient lighting in the form of fixtures such as chandeliers, track lights, recessed lights, or ceiling-mounted fixtures. When outdoors, ambient lighting is often provided by post lanterns, wall sconces, or hanging fixtures.
Task Lighting
While ambient lighting is used to create depth and warmth, task lighting has more functional purposes in mind. Task lighting is lighting that is chosen in a room because specific tasks or actions are performed there. Brighter lights are often chosen for task lighting to create a smaller focal point that will make a task easier.
When inside, you may find task lighting in the form of desk lamps for reading, under cabinet lights for cooking, or bright overhead lights for sewing. Task lighting outdoors is especially important when the sun sets. This type of lighting could be path lights to help people see their way in the dark or security lights that help keep the home safe.
Accent Lighting
Finally, accent lighting is used to bring particular focus or attention to a particular area or object. It is most commonly used to bring attention to things such as artwork, pottery, plants or special architectural features.
Indoor accent lighting might include track lights and spotlights. When outside, good accent lighting might include string lights or LED candles that create a certain effect.
Tips to Choose the Right Light
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Use All Three Types
Using all three types of lighting discussed above is going to help create a rich environment indoors or outdoors by using layers of lighting.
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Consider the Size of the Space
Are you looking to light a large room or the entire patio? Or do you need to light a small room or just a section of the backyard? Bright lights in small areas can completely overwhelm the space, while too little lighting in big spaces can just make things dim and depressing. Similarly, you need to consider the size of your space when choosing light fixtures as well. Make sure to keep how big an area you’re lighting at the forefront of your decisions.
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Get the Intensity Right
One thing you may not even think about is bulb wattage when you install your new lighting. Remember the function you want the light to serve when you choose whether to use a high or low wattage. Also, consider how bright and harsh lights can be just as off-putting as dim lights in a space. For indoor spaces that might be used for a variety of different purposes, consider a dimmer switch that will allow you to adjust to the lighting intensity you need at that moment.
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Don’t Forget Your Style
Choosing the right lighting is important, but it’s not an exact science. Lighting sets the tone for your home, yes, but that tone should also be a reflection of you and what you want people to feel when they’re enjoying your company. Whether through the amount of lighting, the wattage of the bulbs, or the style of the fixtures themselves, make sure your lighting concept is a reflection of your own personal style
Whether you need help with your indoor and outdoor lighting or you’re looking to completely remodel a room in your house, Dependable Home Services can help you get the project done right and on time. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with your next home project.