What is the most efficient way to light a home?

There is a lot to think about when trying to light a home comprehensively so that it sets the right mood, serves the right functions, and generally provides enough light to navigate around the house.

Lights are more complicated and you need a solid plan to guide you in lighting your home. These tips will help you keep tabs on what you need to do to efficiently light your home.

Multiple light sources

ceiling lights

In areas of the home like bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, you are likely to need multiple light sources. You will need ceiling lights that provide general lighting, and task lighting for specific places like kitchen counters, bedside tables, and reading nooks.

Also, in your bedroom and living room, you will need wall-mounted lighting with warm-colored bulbs to help you create a stunning ambient light for those moments when you want to kick back and relax, and not have to deal with bright overhead lights all the time.

Ensure that you select bulbs with a similar color temperature so that they offer a similar hue and glow when more than one light source is turned on at a time.

Energy saving tips

energy savings

Lighting consumes a lot of electricity, particularly when you leave the lights on all night and day, and when lights in unused spaces are left on.

Thus, it is important to turn off any lights that are not being used. A modern solution for this is to install motion-sensing lights that turn off and on automatically depending on nearby activity.

It is important to be aware of how many lights are on in a particular room. If you have the main overhead light on, think about whether you need the lamp on as well. Such small adjustments can help you realize significant savings in the long run.

Remember that this applies to task lighting as well. If all you need is a small reading lamp, it is unwise to flood an entire room with unnecessary light that no one else is using. Therefore, try to ensure that all lights turned on are in use and that your lights are not on just for the sake of it.

Also, ensure you pick out LED bulbs rather than fluorescent and halogen lights, which are more energy efficient and can save you some costs on your energy bills.

Additionally, LEDs are the most adaptable and common light fittings and are suitable for both spotlights and dimmable lights.

Creative use of lights

Take advantage of walls, floors, and other surfaces like tables. Try to place lamps in corners of rooms so that the light bounces off two walls. This will generally result in needing fewer lights across spaces in your home.

Maximize the use of daylight

natural light

It is hard to picture an artificial light source that looks better or lights the home better than natural light. Therefore, you can tailor your home to make the best use of daylight.

Try moving your desks and other work surfaces closer to windows, and consider installing skylights above dark corridors and recessed parts of the home. Also, place large mirrors strategically so that they reflect sunlight well around open spaces.

Your kitchen should have a large window facing your main counter space so that your main kitchen space is flooded with light and does not depend on bulbs during the day.

Do not neglect outdoor lights

security

Outdoor lights serve the critical purpose of guiding you to the door in the dark and keeping malicious individuals away from your home. Thus, every home requires some outdoor lighting.

Security lighting is generally the brightest of outdoor lights and serves to illuminate large areas to help you see while scaring off destructive animals. Designers recommend installing these on high spots like eaves and above garage doors. This placement allows them to cast down wide beams of light onto driveways, walkways, and backyards.

The best solution for security lights is motion-sensing floodlights, whose bright startles prowlers while being energy-efficient.

Make sure all entry points of your home are well-lit. This likely includes on top of the front and back doors, outside the garage door, and spotlights on either side of the house where there are shadows.

Remember that outdoor lighting ought to be considered with its core purpose in mind. For instance, if you have a deck, a gazebo, or another outdoor fixture that you may use to entertain guests or have a good time with family members, it is important to consider specific lighting for the fixture that is separate from your general security lights.

For entertaining, your guests will be bothered by bright spotlights shining down on them. Alternatively, opt for diffused LED lights that give off a soft glow, and use subtle indirect lighting as much as possible to create a luxurious ambiance and restful mood.

To achieve this, consider outdoor lanterns, ceiling fans with light kits, and outdoor pendant lights. Install these fixtures with dimmers so you can adjust the light as needed so that whether you are preparing food, serving it or playing a casual game, you can set the brightness as you wish.

Another creative lighting fixture for outdoor spaces is string lighting which gives off a warm and soft glow to create an intimate ambiance that is ideal for entertaining. Many of these lights are waterproof and have long-lasting LED bulbs. Consider the variants with rechargeable, solar-powered or traditional battery-powered energy so that you avoid the need to run long extension cords across your yard.

Conclusion

Remember to arrange your light switches at a single designated point so it is easy to turn them off. For instance, the light switches for the living room and the exterior of the house should be near the main door so that you do not have to go lurking in a dark room.

Ensure your bedroom has a light switch at the bedside so that at least one set of lights can be turned off and on without leaving the bed.

Try to use motion sensors and timers for external lights so that they are only on when needed.

Ultimately, the best way to light a house involves having a well-thought-out plan. So, try to put your ideas on paper, consult a designer and do some research on the internet to ensure you set up lighting that will be practical and comfortable for long periods.

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