Lighting Choices to Suit Your Lifestyle

Lighting in your home shouldn't be all or nothing; every room should have layers of light that work together to add warmth, comfort, depth, and interest to the space. Decorating with lighting fixtures based on how they look rather than their light distribution and performance will likely give you less-than-stellar results and lighting that doesn't meet your needs. 

Here's what you should know about choosing the right type of lighting for each area of your home. 

Types of Lighting

There is no single light fixture that can provide all of the lighting needs for a single room. There are several types of lighting that can affect how you feel in the space and the functionality of the room. Bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and more should have a combination or layers of lighting to create the desired effect. Here are the types of lighting you'll want to incorporate. 

• Decorative lighting. This type of lighting is designed to add interest and architectural elements to your home. Common examples include wall sconces and chandeliers.
• Task lighting. This is the lighting that illuminates your workspaces, such as pantry closets and countertops. Task lighting can include under-cabinet lights, desk lamps, floor lamps, and vanity lights. 
• Accent lighting. Use accent lighting to add dimension to the room. Accent lighting is concentrated light that draws attention to a focal point. Popular examples are track lights, recessed fixtures, and wall lights. 
• Ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is gentle lighting that fills the room and allows you to function in the space. This type of lighting is also called general lighting and it may include pendant-hung fixtures, wall sconces, and can lighting. 

Entry and Hallway

Entry points, stairs, and hallways in your home probably do not need more than ambient lighting. This can be done with wall sconces, ceiling-mounted light fixtures, and recessed lights in hallways or a single wall sconce or ceiling-mounted fixture in a small entry. 

There are some cases in which you need other types of lighting, however. If you have a focal point you want to highlight, such as artwork in a hallway or a unique architectural feature like wood cornice or an arched entry, accent lighting is a good idea. You may also need extra lighting like a chandelier if you have a double height entryway with a staircase. 

Aim for 1,200 to 4,000 lumens of ambient lighting on stairways and entries. Your hallways shouldn't need more than 2,500 lumens of light.

Living Room

The idea of layering lighting can be used anywhere in your home, but it's especially important in your great room. This is where your family will gather for a range of activities, including board games, reading, watching TV, or just socializing. Look for lighting that will bounce off the ceiling for warm ambient light and brightness without shadows. 

There are many ways to add ambient light to your living room. If you have built-ins, a large entertainment centre, or bookcases, consider linear fluorescent lighting or LED light strips behind it. You can also add recessed lighting to built-ins and entertainment centres that serve as ambient lighting and accent lighting. 

Creating a warm wall of light is another solution for achieving ambient light in the family room. Track lighting, recessed lights, and valance lights all work well when the light is directed at the wall. You can even use floor lamp torchieres, which cast light upward. 

The next step is adding decorative lighting. Table lamps, chandeliers, and hanging pendants add an intimate yet decorative element to the space. Task lighting can come next. For reading, a floor lamp with a swinging arm can direct light over a desk or chair. 

Finally, use accent lighting to highlight features like a fireplace or a painting. Recessed lights directed to these features or under-cabinet lighting work well, but make sure the accent light is about five times stronger than surrounding light. 

Kitchen

Your kitchen requires all types of lighting, but it's often the easiest room to light because you have a good idea of what type of light is needed in which locations. Your kitchen has a heavy focus on food preparation and tasks that require good lighting, especially on the countertops and sink, but you also need good ambient lighting as the kitchen is a common gathering spot for the whole family. 

The traditional lighting plan for a kitchen includes some of the items below: 

• A central, ceiling-mounted fixture that provides ambient light.
• Under-cabinet lighting for countertop tasks without shadows.
• Overhead potlights throughout the Kitchen.
• Pendant lighting over the island for tasks, ambient light, and decorative lighting.

Bathroom

When choosing bathroom lighting, you should give careful consideration to the placement of the fixtures. The greatest challenge for many homeowners is achieving the right type of light at the mirror. A central fixture on the ceiling will cast too many shadows as you stand in front of the mirror. To counter this, having lighting just above the mirror will help illuminate your face fully.

Accent lighting like a mini chandelier or interesting pendant can add an elegant glow over the bathtub while tow kick lighting below the cabinets offers soft illumination to light your path at night. A potlight over the shower or tub is also a popular choice giving a great combination between functionality and appearance.  

Choosing the right lighting for your home can seem like a bit of a challenge, especially if you have limited decorating experience. The best way to do it is focusing on how you will use the space and creating lighting that will work for each activity, whether it's applying makeup at your bathroom mirror or relaxing with your family in the living room. 

To continue designing your home to suit your lifestyle, consider our tips for flooring choices and cabinet choices to complement your lighting.