Choosing the right type of lighting for your home can be a difficult job if you have never done it before. There are many lighting options and different styles to choose from. You also have to take into consideration the functionality of light as well as the mood you are trying to create with it.

If you are having problems knowing if you need an LED light or sconces this is the blog post for you. In this post, we will help you choose the right lighting for the rooms in your home.

Types of lighting

There are three main types of lighting that you will need to consider when picking lighting for the rooms in your home. The three types of lighting are ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting.

Most rooms will have two of the above types of lighting but you can sometimes use all three. 

Ambient lighting

Ambient lighting is the base lighting that you should build upon with your lighting choices. Ambient lighting is the most basic of all lights and is generally the main lighting in a room. 

When you think about ambient lighting you should think about a soft light that gives your room a blanket effect of lighting that covers a certain area without being too harsh.

If you need to add soft lighting to your room you should look at lights like:

• Chandeliers
• Pendants
• Led strips
• Recessed ceiling lights

When you plan the lighting of your room, start with ambient lighting and build from there.

Task Lighting

Task lighting or office lighting as it is often referred to is a more concentrated and harsh light. It is a lighting system that is used when you need a light to focus on a task such as reading, writing, typing and many other tasks that you do at home.

To get the most out of a task light you should already have an ambient light system in your room. Your task light will then contrast from this ambient lighting and as a result, will help focus your mind on the task at hand.

Many different types of lights can be used for task lighting including:

• Table lamps
• Desk lamps
• Vanity lights
• Floor lamps
• Swingarm lamps

Before purchasing a task light make sure you think of the tasks that you will need to perform in a particular room. A desk lamp, for example, may not be the best choice for your living room if you want to read on your couch but don’t have any nearby tables. In this instance, you may get more use out of a floor lamp.

Accent Lighting

As the name suggests, accent lighting is lighting used to draw your eyes to a certain point in a room, it could be used to highlight architectural features or something you admire in a room like artwork or a fireplace.

Accent lighting can also be used to draw your eyes away from features in a room in which you are not happy with. If you have any decorating mishaps that you want to hide, accent lighting can be used to draw attention away from them.

Types of accent lights are:

• Chandeliers (Using a dimmer switch)
• Sconces
• Lamps
• Uplights
• Picture Lights
• Candlelight
• Landscape lights
• Track lights

When considering accent lighting in your home you are going to need to plan on how you are going to layout your room. Take time to get this right as accent lighting will elevate the look and feel of your room but if you get it wrong you are going to have too much light in certain areas which will just confuse your eyes and leave your mind feeling confused.

Different lighting for different rooms

Kitchen

Now that you know that there are different styles of lighting you should have a rough idea of how you should use each type within the home. With that said, If you have no experience of adding lighting to your home it can still be difficult, so here are some of the ways you could light parts of your home

Hallway

The hallway is the entryway to your home, you will want to make it inviting to everyone that steps foot in it. In big manor houses, task lighting could work in the hallway, however, in smaller homes, you will want to make the hallway inviting and lit up with soft light.

For the hallway, we recommend sticking to ambient light sources like chandeliers and ceiling lighting that can spread light throughout the room gently.

Living room

The living room is a room used for different purposes, because of this your lighting choices will have to reflect that. You will more than likely need ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting in your living room.

When purchasing lighting for your living room think of chandeliers, ceiling lighting, table lamps, floor lamps and sconces. We would also recommend investing in a dimmer switch for the living room. That way you can have the lighting on full if you have guests around or you can dim it down when you want to relax and read a book.

Dining Room

Pendant lights and chandeliers work well in the dining room as they provide enough lighting so that everyone can see when eating their food, without being too harsh like LED lighting or lighting from lamps.  

Bedroom

The bedroom should be a relaxing environment so your lighting choices should contribute to this. Ambient lighting is a great choice and you may also want to add some task lighting if you read in bed.

A dimmer switch is once again a great option for the bedroom.

Bathroom

Bathroom lighting is often an afterthought when remodelling a bathroom, but getting your lighting right in the bathroom can transform your room.

Ceiling lights are a great choice in the bathroom as they can provide the room with an ambient glow. You can then add wall lights and even backlight LED mirrors to provide you with a space that can be used for vanity purposes.

Conclusion

Choosing the right lighting for your room is difficult, but you now should have a better idea of how to light the rooms in your home. The easiest way in our opinion to getting the lighting in each room correct is to think about the rooms purpose and then the layout of the room. With those two factors in mind, you can then make educated decisions on your lighting choices.

Author Bio

Sarah Jones is a home improvement blogger that writes for companies like M and M Heating and Plumbing. When not writing Sarah likes to read crime novels, go to the gym and relax with her friends and family.

 

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