Ask any interior design expert and they will tell you that you need the right lighting if you want your home to have a well-executed design scheme. Great lighting helps to highlight your interior’s best features and increases its functionality. On the other hand, if you fail to get the lighting right, your home will look cheap and unappealing even if you’ve invested millions of dollars in it. So, if you haven’t paid enough attention to this important element, it’s time you learned a thing or two about how to light your home right.
Opt for LEDs
Let’s start with the technical part before we move onto the design parts of the whole puzzle. What are the best bulbs for home? Well, all interior designers agree that in the modern home there’s no space for the uncomfortable yellowish hue of incandescent lights. And when it comes to halogens, nobody wants to deal with switching them every few months due to their fragile life span. That being said, opting for LED lights is the smartest decision when it comes to illuminating your home.
Although, LED bulbs are more expensive than halogen and incandescent ones, they certainly pay off in longevity. How long do LED lights last? Considering how the average LED bulb is designed to have a lifespan of around 50 000 hours, it can last for around 5.7 years while working nonstop. In other words, by installing LEDs you won’t have to worry about replacing your bulbs any time soon. And then there’s also the fact that LEDs spend 60-70% less energy compared to other lighting technologies. So, by opting for LED lights Australia homeowners can expect a significant reduction of their home’s energy bill.
Additionally, LEDs offer plenty of options when it comes to style. Sifting through the wide range of LED lights Australia suppliers offer, you’ll notice there’s a lot of variety. These efficient but unobtrusive lights can be used with all kinds of fixtures in the modern home, from downlights to oyster lights, pendants, wall sconces, strip lights and more. The power of LED can be also brought outside of the home so that your outdoor space can benefit from it as well. Path lights, spotlights and bollards are just some of the many ways you can make your yard a functional, safe, and above all attractive space.
Layer Your Lighting
Whether it’s an outfit or the lighting plan of a home – layers have the power to make it look stylish and expensive. When it comes to interior lighting, you need to tastefully integrate three different layers – ambient, task, and accent lighting. Ambient lighting refers to the overhead lighting, in other words, chandeliers, pendant lights and recessed lights. These fixtures flood the space with light. In order for this layer to work efficiently, you need to make sure that there are no dark corners left behind. Besides making sure that there’s a sufficient number of fixtures throughout the room, you also need to pick LED lighting that’s powerful enough to provide even illumination.
While overhead ambient lighting illuminates the entire space, when you’re focused on a single task, it’s often not enough. It’s the role of task lighting to provide good, focused illumination when you’re concentrated on something. Like for instance, a desk lamp when you’re reading or filling out forms, or under-cabinet fittings when you’re cooking in the kitchen. Depending on your daily activities, opt for a suitable mix of task lighting.
Accent lighting is any type of fixture that is used to highlight a certain feature of the interior or to create mood. For instance, LED strip lights are one popular type of accent lighting used in contemporary interiors. These lights are used around architectural features such as ceiling logs or wall elements to create a dramatic effect. When the ambient lights are turned off, strip lights can create an intimate mood that’s perfect for relaxing. Recessed lights are a type of fixture that can be used for ambient, accent and task lighting as well. To use them as accent lighting, consider installing them above key features, like for instance a painting or some artwork. If you have a vintage style interior, instead of recessed lights, you can use vintage wall sconces for the same effect.
Install a Dimmer for Mood
A great lighting scheme should have the power to dictate the overall atmosphere in the room. With the help of a dimmer switch you can achieve an intimate relaxing atmosphere or a vibrant one perfect for elevating the mood – all in the same room. Additionally, dimming the lights to 50% of their capacity from time to time can help you save on energy and prolong the lifespan of your bulbs. A dimmer switch is a practical yet inexpensive device which can be purchased at most lighting shops.
