How to Light Your Home

Once you’ve suited and booted your home and organised your stylish decor, it’s imperative to get your lighting right to show it off. Depending on each room and your personal needs, the attention you should pay to form and function will differ.

Bedroom

Style and substance are the elements of a bedroom, so invest in a warm and bright overhead light, and arrange your mirror so that you can see your whole self clearly. Add in a warm bedside or desk lamp for reading and working, and your whole room is kitted out. A dimmer switch can create a relaxing ambience or if your eyes take some time to adjust to different levels of light.

Bathroom

When kitting out the littlest room, make use of functional lighting in specific spots. Smaller bathrooms can make do with a spotlight over the shower and an additional light by the mirror, especially important for applying makeup or shaving. For this, Forbes suggest placing two small sconces either side of the mirror to evenly distribute the light all over your face, each of 20-25 watts so that the light is bright enough to see properly, but not overly harsh.

Kitchen

Bright functional lighting is perhaps nowhere more important than in the kitchen, for reasons of health and safety. Make sure that your worktops and stove are lit well to minimise any accidents with heat or knives, and to prevent any sloppy clean-ups. If you have cupboards floating over your worktops, attach a stick on LED with white/blue lighting for surgical precision when chopping. A good all-rounder for the whole room is an adjustable track light on the ceiling, allowing you to direct the light as best fits the room, while preventing blinding anyone sat in a certain spot.

Living and Dining Area

Both the living and dining rooms should be lit to create a cosy ambience rather than specific functions as in the kitchen and bathrooms, so aim for lighting that contributes to a warm and welcoming atmosphere. An overhead lamp over a dining table allows guests to see each other and their meals without being overly intrusive, especially with an energy-efficient dimmer. For a living room, highlight any interesting architecture or art with wall sconces, and add a standing or table lamp for reading – vary the wattage of the bulbs to build the ambience as you see fit.