4 Lighting Tricks You Can Use in Every Room of Your Home

Have you ever flipped through the pages of a home improvement magazine and asked yourself, “How do I get my home to look like this?”

One of the simplest ways to start is by doing something about your lighting. Although each room in your [city] home is unique, and as such, requires different approaches to lighting, there are still a handful of big-picture lighting strategies that apply to every room in your home. We look at 4 of these below.

Layer Your Lighting

Most homeowners make the mistake of having just one kind of lighting in a room—usually overhead/ceiling lighting. But ceiling lights only provide general lighting, or the kind of light that ensures you can see where you’re going without bumping into furniture. These lights, however, are inadequate for things like reading, chopping food, or working in front of a computer. Ceiling lights are also too much if you just want a soft light to relax—think soaking in the tub or having an intimate dinner.

This is where layering your light comes in. Think of your lighting as three layers of a cake made up of:

• General lighting – At the very bottom of your cake are your overhead lights, which usually comprise more than half of your room’s light. These are
• Task lighting – Task lights let you see what you’re doing when performing chores and tasks like applying makeup, cooking food, and reading. These are your floor and desk lamps, your spotlights, and track lights among others.
• Accent Lighting – Accent lights are the cream on top of your cake. These lights serve as decorative elements in your room and also emit a soft glow that can eliminate dark areas. Examples include wall sconces and pendant lights.

Have Separate Controls for Each Layer of Light

The point of having at least three layers of light is for you to use a specific set of light fixtures depending on your needs. For example, if you’re entertaining guests in the living room, you can use your accent lights. If you are preparing food, you can use your task and general lights in the kitchen.

It’s also a good idea to install a dimmer switch/controller, which lets you dim and brighten your lights when the occasion calls for it.

Use One Color of Light for Each Room

Today’s light bulbs come in all shades of white light, ranging from bluish white to yellow-white. Information about this can be found on the bulb’s packaging, in the device’s Kelvin Color Temperature rating.

So, if you’re going to use yellow white bulbs for your overhead lighting, make sure the rest of your light fixtures use the same color of light.

Use as Much Natural Light as Possible

Nothing matches the quality and color of natural sunlight, so during the day make sure your rooms let in as much daylight as possible. This means keeping window blinds open, tying back curtains, using sheer curtains, and adding reflective elements to your rooms, whether it’s a mirror, desk and floor lamps with shiny bases, or reflective vases.

Keep these fundamentals of lighting in mind whenever you want to breathe new life into your home.