Lighting Tips and Tricks By Brian Gottschall At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Lighting is one area of home design that is all too often overlooked. There are many ways that lighting can enhance both the look and function of your home. The overall principle to remember is to use different types of lighting to add excitement and variety to your home.

Layering lighting within a room creates depth and drama. There are many options when it comes to lighting types, including chandeliers, table lamps, floor lamps, under cabinet lights, recessed or track lighting, uplights, and spotlights for artwork or other design elements.

Here are some lighting tips and tricks that you can use in various rooms of your home:

Kitchen Lighting

The kitchen is a place where good, functional lighting is a necessity. Under cabinet lights are a great option to provide good visibility for food preparation; poor lighting in this area can even increase the risk of injury while cutting food. Consider installing uplights above the cabinets to provide gentle illumination for the ceiling area – this is also a good way to highlight artwork or detail pieces like contrasting ceiling and wall paint colors, or crown molding. A good overhead chandelier or ceiling light fixture will provide for the room's general lighting needs. If you have a kitchen office or computer area, include a functional desk lamp.

Lighting for Living Areas and Bedrooms

Living rooms, family rooms, and bedrooms are generally some of the most lived in areas of a home, and they serve a variety of functions. This is why it's crucial to use a number of lighting types so that the right type of lighting is available for any circumstance.

Here are some general principles to remember when it comes to lighting living areas and bedrooms:

Task lighting: Task lighting can be as simple as a desk lamp or end table lamp. This type of lighting is most often used for reading, but is also helpful for other projects that require the ability to see detail. It is recommended that each seating position in a room have its own task lighting, but this isn't always possible. Place lamps on bedside tables and end tables; you can also place sofa table behind the couch and place a lamp there as well. Floor lamps are another option, and can work well behind chairs that are angled into a corner. Finally, recessed lighting can provide additional light where other options are unavailable.

Spotlighting: Use spotlights or picture lights that are designed especially to highlight framed artwork. Family portraits, contrasting wall colors, moldings, carvings, and other details can all be accented with this kind of lighting.

General lighting: In addition to task lighting and accent lighting, each room should have a good source of general light. This is most often in the form of a ceiling fixture or chandelier. If your home does not have a central ceiling fixture, you may want to install one, or you can opt for track lighting or torchiere lamps placed strategically in the room to provide maximum general light.

The basic principle of good lighting is to have the right type of lighting available for whatever activity is going on in the room. Layered lighting not only increases the functionality of your home; it also creates a multi-faceted look that adds depth and excitement to a room.

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