When was the last time you thought about your home’s lighting? Probably about the last time you had to change a lightbulb, right? Lighting in a room is as important as paint color and furniture and it is critical for whatever function the room dictates. However, many people don’t consider changing the lighting, especially if it includes built-in such as recessed lighting or flush-mount lightboxes in the center of bedrooms.
You don’t have to settle just because something is installed. Here are six ways you can be innovative and make adjustments:
1. Adjusting Recessed Lighting – We are starting with this one because it is arguably the most difficult to change. But depending on what you have installed now, remodeling may be less work than you may think. New drywall, texture, and paint may be involved, but you may also find it is as easy as changing outdated cans for new, more energy-efficient and brighter options…and ones that have not yellowed with age. And if you still have fluorescent flickering light in your kitchen there are much better solutions!
2. Pendant Lights – There are also new pendant lights that can be retrofitted into a recessed light. If you have an area in your kitchen that could use a little pizazz, you may be able to make quick work of that change with a trip to your local home improvement store.
3. Chandeliers – They aren’t just for the dining room anymore! Chandeliers can pep up any space from the living room, bedrooms, and more. However, making sure the box and ceiling can hold the additional weight of the chandelier is essential as well as checking your local building codes to make sure a chandelier can be installed in your intended space.
4. Functional and Task Lighting – For a person to complete a task comfortably, the area should be illuminated for that task. To make sure areas like kitchen countertops, desk areas, bathroom vanities, and even areas of the living room in which people work are properly lit, consider adding task lighting including undercabinet lights, mirror sidelights, directional lamps, and more. Just because you have an old lamp in the garage that you aren’t currently using doesn’t mean it is the right fit for the job.
5. Brightness and Wattage Matters – When utilizing lamps, a single 60W bulb may not be enough, so you may want to consider a lamp with two bulbs or even a single bulb with a cooler wavelength or higher lumens.
6. You Don’t Have to Live with the Labyrinth! – If you have a large room with a naturally dark area near the center, lamps may solve your problem…but who wants to live with all those cords that can become a trip hazard? There are innovative ways for electricians to solve that problem for you including installing additional outlets (yes, even on the floor) or channels to keep your cords neat and tidy.
You don’t have to live with lackluster lighting! If you are buying a house, I recommend visiting during the day AND at night so you can assess the current lighting situation and make a plan for after purchase.