A Room-by-Room Guide to Perfect Indoor Lighting

When it comes to lighting your home, you’ll want to approach the project from a room-by-room perspective. As you know, each room in your home isn’t created equal, so neither should your lighting! Think about it: you spend time perfecting your decor — but you cannot highlight that without the proper lighting. A well-lit home adds dimension, warmth, and an overall mood to every room.

Though it might seem simple, the right lighting takes planning, but that’s what we are here for! The first thing to know is the higher the lumens, the brighter the light. The second is our room-by-room guide so you can really WOW your guests.

Entryway

Your entryway should be bright and inviting. To accomplish this, you’ll need two layers of light — general lighting and your accent lighting. A central light fixture is a great way to add general lighting to the area while adding to your decor. To highlight an area or set a mood, consider adding a second layer with a table lamp. This gives you a variety of lighting to choose from while catching visitor’s attention.

Bedrooms

When it comes to lighting your bathroom, think about what you’ll need it for the most. The most common answers are usually reading and closet lighting. Otherwise, you’ll want a relaxing, calm vibe throughout the room, so you’ll want to rely more on bedside table lighting and less on recessed ceiling lights.

Two movable bedside lights with adjustable arms, on separate switches, are perfect for bedside reading. A few recessed lights over your bed and a floor lamp or two is the perfect three-layer lighting to deliver brightness and overall mood. For your closet lighting, you’ll want to go a bit brighter with ceiling-mounted or recessed fixtures.

Bathroom

Your bathroom is the hub for personal grooming. Therefore your lighting must be based around your mirror. With a poor lighting setup, you’ll be left with unwanted shadows. Instead — light both sides of the mirror with some task lighting. You’ll also want to add recessed lighting above your shower or bathtub, and a central fixture between the two as your accent light.

Living Room or Family Room

A living room is probably the one room that requires the most variety, and thought, during a lighting plan — aside from your kitchen. You need the brightness to carry out tasks, with the options of accent lighting to add depth and mood.

To do so, you’ll need the three layers of general, task and accent lighting. Your general lighting will be provided through recessed lighting — and this is used for your day-to-day activities. Task lighting should be placed in a focal point, for extra illumination, such as above a reading chair. Lastly, add accent lighting above your paintings, table lamps, and floor lamps, to highlight specific focal areas and create a mood. Make sure your recessed lights are dimmable so you can have a variety of lighting options

Kitchen

Ah, kitchen lighting: probably the most essential part of your home lighting plan. Kitchen lighting can make your space the meeting grounds for all guests, and create a warm, relaxing environment. The right amount of light can also help create a bright and safe atmosphere for food prep — so the proper layering is a must!

General recessed lighting, should be spread throughout the kitchen for your everyday use. Your task lighting should be placed around your working areas for extra brightness and focus. Additional lighting can be the key to safety. Lastly, add accent lights where you want to draw attention or set a mood. By keeping everything on a dimmer, you can ensure you are always able to have dim lighting for a dinner party or bright light for food prep.

Whether you are looking to upgrade your light switches, or are looking to upgrade to LED lighting — RR Electric, Heating and Air has you covered! Schedule your service today!