A Guide To Lighting For Your Home

Lighting is an extremely important feature in any home. No matter how good your choice of décor is the choice of lights and the light bulbs that go inside them can make a huge difference to the final effect. If you get it right, your home will look sensational. Get it wrong however, and the overall effect you are trying to achieve may not work at all.

That’s why it’s worth planning ahead and trying to work out what you need in each area of your home. And since each room will have different needs and requirements, it’s clear that you cannot use the same type of lighting in each area.

That’s what this guide aims to help you with. So keep reading to learn all about the ins and outs of practical and effective lighting.

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Practical needs in communal areas

Communal areas such as your hall and landing need to be well lit. The lighting should also be easily accessible with well placed light switches. For example, if you have a particularly long hall you may want to have a switch at either end.

An attractive ceiling light is ideal in these areas, although for longer halls wall lighting can be very effective too. Why not try a bright ceiling light just inside the front door, and then go for wall lights from the same range as you walk further down the hall?

The good news is that there are lots of styles and sizes to choose from. The main thing is to go for brighter bulbs here; higher wattage energy saving bulbs would be a good bet.

How well lit are your stairs?

This is a situation where the lighting has to be good otherwise you could have a nasty accident as a result.

Fortunately there are some great options nowadays that not only get the job done, but they look extremely eye catching and modern as well. One of the best solutions you could use would be either a track system or a cable lighting system.

This basically means that a cable or track would be used to travel the entire length of the ceiling down the stairs. You would then position spotlights at intermediate points along that distance, to ensure every step is well lit.

If this sounds too modern for your liking, spotlights attached to the wall or ceiling are a good alternative. Make sure that whatever you use has a strong light bulb to get the maximum effect.

Shedding light on a relaxing space in your lounge or living room

Most people have a variety of different lights in their living room. This is the space where you are most likely to want to sit and relax in the evenings. For this purpose then, a small side light might be all you want for a low level of lighting. Try a touch light for easy use and the option to have different levels of lighting.

A floor standing lamp is the next step up, along with wall lights positioned at various points in the room. This gives a better source of light, without being too harsh overall.

And then there is the essential ceiling light of course. Sometimes you need to have the best possible degree of light, and for this the ceiling light plays a crucial role. If you have a large lounge you may want to consider putting a light at each end, as one probably won’t be enough.

Dine in style, and in the right amount of light

There’s nothing better than having friends or family round to enjoy a nice meal. But it’s equally important to make sure the occasion is well lit. Good lighting can create ambience and warmth, so you should spend time choosing what will work best for your own situation.

For example, most dining rooms will of course have one or more lights hanging above the table itself. Check to see whether you can get ones that can be operated by a dimmer, as this gives even more versatility to them.

Wall lights are good for dining rooms as well though, as they provide a different source of light when needed. For example, you might want to have a candlelit dinner instead of using the ceiling lights. Candles alone however might not provide enough light, so the wall lights could just add enough to make a perfect atmosphere.

Food preparation needs good light sources in the kitchen

The kitchen is often a hive of activity in any home. And that means providing more than one light source to choose from.

Cabinet lighting – both inside and underneath the cabinets – is enough to add atmosphere if you are hosting a party. It can also accentuate the features in your kitchen and provide just enough light to see by.

Ceiling lights are obviously important for when you are cooking or preparing meals. They give a strong light source, and if you use spotlights you can focus on the most important areas of the kitchen. You can also have them installed so that one switch will turn on half of the spotlights, and another one will turn on the rest.

Make a feature of your breakfast bar!

Not all kitchens are big enough to have a breakfast bar, but if you do have one you can really attract attention to it.

Hanging pendant lights, whether minimalist or flamboyant, can act as a divide between the breakfast bar and the rest of the kitchen. You could also opt for a pendant light that you can pull down further if need be.

If you have a kitchen diner and your breakfast bar acts as a ‘wall’ between the two areas, then having some eye catching lights hanging above it is a great way to enhance that ‘wall’!

Staying safe in the bathroom

It is just as important to have good lighting in the bathroom as it is anywhere else in the home. But there is an added consideration here, and that is one of safety.

Lighting means wires and electricity, and in a room that naturally sees a lot of water being used, it is vital to make sure the lights you have are suitable. Bathrooms are split into zones, so you must ensure that any lights you buy are designed to be used in the zone you intend them to be for.

The first zone is 0 and this relates to an area which will have water in it – for example, the bath. If you are going to use a light here it must be waterproof and designed for that purpose. A classic example would be spa lights.

The second zone is 1, and this includes shower enclosures. The third zone is 2, and would include areas such as the splash back area above a sink. It is highly advisable to seek proper professional help when choosing bathroom lights, and particularly having them installed.

Feeling warm, relaxed and comfortable with the help of the right lighting in your bedroom

Bedrooms are places to relax and chill out. It is the last room you will enter at night, and it’s the room where you will doze off to sleep. As such you don’t just need a ceiling light to illuminate the surroundings.

A softer bulb in wall and ceiling lights works much better in a bedroom. For example you could use a bulb which is coloured to give a softer light source that exudes a certain warmth as well.

Bedside lamps are virtually an essential in the room. They provide light for reading, and they also provide light if you should need to get up during the night. For safety’s sake they allow you to turn on a light without having to get up in the dark to do it.

Consider whether you use your bedroom for any other needs as well, and get some smaller lights in the areas that require them the most.

Do you know your light bulbs?

There are so many different types of light bulbs around that it can be quite confusing to know which ones you should buy. While the light fitting determines a certain amount of the answer, you still have a number of choices open to you.

What types of fitting are there?

There are two main types of light fitting on the market now. These are the bayonet fitting and the Edison screw fitting. The latter works exactly as the name suggests, by screwing the bulb into the light. The bayonet fitting is simply pushed into place and then turned slightly to lock it into position.

Within these two broad types, each one also comes in either a small or a standard fitting size. You will find a selection of letters and numbers to help you choose the right one.

For example, ES stands for Edison screw, and SES stands for small Edison screw. Working on the same principle, BC is bayonet cap while SBC is a small bayonet cap. These are also referred to by codes – the standard bayonet cap is B22 while the small is B15. The standard Edison is E27 and the small is E14.

Save some energy with the right bulbs

Energy saving bulbs have improved greatly over the last few years, and they are also a lot cheaper than they used to be. They don’t become anywhere near as hot as the traditional light bulbs, and they save a lot of energy as a result.

You can expect every energy saving bulb you use to last longer and save you money as a result. And it also means you can be kinder to the environment because you will be using a lot less energy.

Halogen bulbs for bright light when you need it

These aren’t popular for use in an everyday location, but they are suitable for some light fittings. You must ensure that the light fitting can take a halogen bulb before using it, since the heat generated by one of these can present a risk in terms of a lampshade catching light, for example.

They do last longer than the traditional bulbs, but they aren’t as energy efficient as the new ‘green’ light bulbs. And there are two types of halogen too, only one of which is suitable to be used with mains voltage.

The good old fashioned tungsten bulbs

These are the bulbs we have used for many years. They have been in use for more than a hundred years, in fact, and it is only now that we are about to say goodbye to them for good.

They are capable of giving off exceedingly strong and direct light if needed, depending on the wattage of the bulb you choose. However they do not last as long as energy saving bulbs, and they give off a lot of heat which is wasted. This is one of the reasons they are being discontinued in the next year or two.

One distinct advantage they have is that they are more versatile than many energy saving bulbs, as they can provide stronger light. They are also ideal for using with lights that are operated with a dimmer switch. Not all energy saving lights can be used in this way.

In conclusion

As you can see, lighting doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s simply a question of thinking about what needs you will have in each separate room, rather than thinking of lighting your home as a whole. Each area is used for different reasons and you may also use one room for more than one purpose. This means it is essential to get the right combination of bulbs and light fittings to serve each area well.

Provided you take the time to consider all the different options, you can easily get things just right. The main point to remember is to ensure that a professional installs all your lights for you, as this is by far the safest way to make sure your home looks wonderful and isn’t susceptible to any wiring or similar problems.