Whether you want to improve the lighting in your bedroom or are planning to renovate your entire home, plan for the setup of lights in different rooms. Each room in your house has a different function; therefore, they will need a more specific type of lighting.

To ensure maximum lighting, consult with your home lighting electrician and keep the following room-by-room lighting suggestions in mind.

Living Room/Family Room Lighting

Laying lights is an important concept when planning the lighting for your living room, which is an area of the house where most people gather and spend a long stretch of time together. The activities in living rooms include conversations, reading, watching TV, and other family activities. Install lights that bounce off the ceiling for ambient illumination. This type of lighting creates a strong sense of brightness in the room, as well as avoids the downward direction of recessed lights or shadows. Bouncing lights off the ceiling also suits the human tendency to see vertical planes versus looking at your feet.

Achieve this set-up by integrating valance or cove lighting into a room’s interior. If you have an entertainment unit or bookcase that doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling, add a linear fluorescent or a piece of millwork behind.

Kitchen Lighting

This room’s focus on food preparation and cleanup requires careful consideration of ambient lighting. One of the main reasons sinks are located near the window is to take advantage of natural lighting. Augment the natural light with a recessed fixture or a ceiling-mounted one above the sink. Lights under the cabinet can also illuminate the countertop without relying on an overhead light.

Another basic lighting plan is to have a ceiling-mounted fixture provide ambient light with soffit lighting shedding light above the sink.

Bedroom Lighting

The bedroom needs lighting that promotes comfort and relaxation. Overhead lighting well-diffused by the frosted glass or other material creates a cozy ambiance minus the glare. If you want variety, you can also invest in architectural light or sconces flanking a wall mirror.  

Bedside lamps with warm bulbs are essentials. This enables you to turn off your lights without leaving the comfort of your bed.

Bathroom lighting

Halogen bulbs are the standard for bathroom lighting but compact fluorescent bulbs also help. You can also use recessed downlights or decorative lights for areas in the bathroom over a hundred square feet.

Complement this design by adding close-to-ceiling fixtures that can supplement wall brackets in larger bathrooms.

Mount one lighting fixture over the bathroom’s mirror to light up space but it can cause shadows on your voice. Avoid creating shadows by not mounting them directly over the mirror. If you’re using exposed lamps, avoid using higher wattage. Avoid going beyond 40 watts. Go for lights that provide crisp lighting to render your skin tone accurately.

In the shower, you can use ceiling mounted plastic units or recessed lights. Angle the lights to make sure your fixtures will sparkle.

The right lighting sets the right mood for the right room. Work with your electrician to determine which lighting option or plan is the best for your room.

SHOP LIGHTING….