5 Common Home Lighting Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

Does your home feel uncomfortable or look off? Have you spent a considerable amount of money on furniture and décor, only to feel that something just isn’t right with your home’s living spaces?

Chances are, the culprit might be your home lighting. Contrary to what you might think, home lighting isn’t just about taking four light bulbs and placing one on each corner of a room’s ceiling. A few missteps are all it takes to make wonderful living spaces look dark and dreary. Keep reading to find out just what these home lighting mistakes are.

Not Layering Your Lights

Installing a variety of light fixtures in a room not only makes the entire space look bright, the multiple layers of lighting also give your room some flexibility. This ensures that no matter what you do in the room, there will always be an appropriate light fixture for the job.

For example:

• Your overhead lights function as the room’s primary light source.
• A desk or floor lamp can be used as a task light.
• Track lights can illuminate artwork, photos, or a mantel.
• Wall sconces double as decorative pieces and soft light sources.

Having different layers of light in a room also lets you create different moods for different occasions. Need soft lighting? Switch off your overhead lighting and keep your wall sconces and floor lamps on to create a relaxed atmosphere.

Allowing Shadows and Dark Corners to Take Over

Placing a lamp or a light fixture in the wrong area in a room can create unwanted shadows that mess up the entire look of the living space. Before adding any lights, especially accent lighting, to a room, be sure to check if the light source removes dark areas or creates them. Moving your furniture or using another type of light fixture can easily fix the problem.

Ignoring Dimmers

Regular light switches let you turn your lights on and off, and that’s about it. If you want to create all kinds of different moods and atmospheres with your home lighting, you will want to install dimming controllers. With dimmers, you can fine-tune your home lighting, switching from bright and exciting to dim and relaxed with a simple turn of a knob. Some light bulbs even come with “smart” features, such as the ability to dim and change colors, which only adds to the list of things you can do with your home lighting.

Overlooking the Color of Your Walls

Matching dark walls with lights with a warm (or yellowish) color temperature will only make the room look dark and cramped. Conversely, white walls and lights with a cool (bluish white) color temperature can be harsh on your eyes. So, be sure to mix and match appropriately. Ultimately, a wall color that’s neither too dark nor too bright is the perfect solution to installing any kind of lighting you want.

Your Light Fixtures Are Too Small/Big for the Room

Choose a light fixture that perfectly matches the size of the room and the size of the furniture closest to it. For example, a small chandelier hung over a large table or a large floor lamp positioned next to a small love seat will make the room feel off. Again, mix and match appropriately.

Keep these lighting tips in mind the next time you evaluate the overall look and feel of your home’s living spaces.