Unfortunately, lighting is often an afterthought in an otherwise well designed space.
It really does have the power to make or break a room so don’t let poor lighting choices undo your hard work.
See below some of the most common lighting mistakes which you should avoid, as well as some useful tips that anyone can easily follow.
Lighting Mistakes
You’re not alone when it comes to the stress of finding a lighting scheme that’s just right. Addressing these three common lighting mistakes should keep you on track and avoid ending up with areas that are too dark or too bright.
Incorrect color temperature
One of the biggest mistakes people make is using an incorrect color temperature. In short, color temperature is a measure of a light’s color on a warm-to-cool spectrum. The four main categories of light colors are warm white, soft white, bright white and daylight.
Warm white bulbs emit a golden yellow light and are most suited to bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms as they create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
Soft white bulbs are slightly cooler than warm white bulbs and are deemed more appropriate for use in bathrooms and kitchens because they bring a friendly and bright atmosphere.
Bright white bulbs emit a color that is between white and blue, and in terms of home applications these lights are well suited to being in the home office or garage.
The last category, daylight, isn’t particularly homey – these bulbs create a sterile and cold atmosphere as they emit blue tone light and are therefore better placed in hospitals and other commercial settings where the goal is to make us alert and improve our concentration.
The main takeaway here is to steer clear of daylight bulbs if you want your space to remain a place of relaxation and comfort.
Mixing color temperature in a single space
Not only is choosing the wrong color temperature a big lighting mistake, having inconsistent temperature in a single space is also something to be wary of.
As you can probably imagine, going from a warm white room to one with bright white bulbs will be quite startling and create an uneasy, disjointed feel. It makes everything from decor to skin tone look a little off.
This can pose a problem for open plan layouts but it’s just a case of reaching a compromise.
For example, the general rule is for the kitchen to have a cooler tone light than a living area, but if these two areas share the same space then what you should do is select a tone somewhere between warm white and soft white and that will ensure a consistent color temperature.
Not layering lighting
I know it means introducing more complexity, but using multiple types of lighting throughout a space is key to a great home lighting design.
There are four types of lighting used in the home – overhead lighting, ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting – and it’s important to use at least two of them in various places and heights. This is the process of layering lighting and it makes sure light is evenly dispersed.
Overhead lighting is commonly found in the form of ceiling lights and is usually the main light source for most rooms.
Many of us fall into the trap of relying on ceiling lights to serve all our lighting requirements, but this type of lighting often creates unflattering shadows on people and objects when not used with other types of lighting.
Ambient lighting has a soft natural feeling, best exemplified by lamps or pendants with a fabric shade as they create a soft warm glow. You run the risk of throwing the whole lighting scheme off-balance if your ambient lighting isn’t spread out across the room in an even manner.
Accent lighting is the least functional and more aesthetic form of lighting. It’s usually relied upon to bring attention to certain areas or objects such as artwork or architectural details.
Accent lights are highly adept at making a space more dramatic and stylish by increasing contrast, so it’s wise to only use it sparingly to highlight the key features of a space. Too much accent lighting is uncomfortable to the eye and generally over-stimulating.
Also known as directional lighting, task lighting is used in areas where a specific task is completed. This could be anything from reading and writing to cooking food.
In contrast to ambient lighting which serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose, task lighting is the most functional layer of light, owing to it being much brighter and has a narrow beam, unlike ambient lighting which is dimmer and has an even glow.
You can look to table lamps, bathroom vanity lights and under-cabinet lighting as examples of task lights.
As you can see, different lighting types serve very different yet valuable purposes. By layering them throughout a room, you’re really going to elevate the space and benefit from a dynamic environment as colors, textures and other design elements are enhanced.
Lighting Tips
Hopefully it’s sunk in by now how much damage a bad lighting scheme can do to the overall aesthetic of a space. With the common mistakes out the way, it’s time to get the inside track on what professional interior designers do that helps them nail the lighting design every time.
Match lighting fixtures to other elements in the room
Enhancing the feel of a room using light is important but it’s one-half of the puzzle. How it looks is equally important. When choosing lighting fixtures, attempt to match them with other elements in your home for continuity.
Focus on things like color, texture and material, so as to make the space cohesive and not siloed. A good starting point for achieving this is to match your lighting fixtures to your hardware.
If your kitchen has matte black hardware for things like faucets and cupboard handles then you’ll want to match these features with lighting fixtures which are also in a matte black finish.
Similarly, you may have matte black elements in your living room, in which case a matte black light source such as a floor lamp is an absolute must to complete the look and make the space cohesive.
Just keep an eye out for any spaces where there’s a lot of metal going on! And remember the same concept applies outside of metals – textures and fabrics are just as impactful when they speak to each other.
Diffuse your light source
You know how you can see much more clearly when a cloud is passing in front of the sun as opposed to when you’re in direct sunlight?
It’s a well known concept in photography and film making, whereby a subject under diffused light is much more flattering than direct light.
Something like an opal glass shade will help soften and break up the light and make your space and the people and objects round it more flattering as a result.
There will be times when you want an exposed light for visual interest and that’s okay – just consider also having a source of diffused light for an evenly lit room.
Use dimmers
Versatility is key to a winning lighting design and that’s where dimmers come into play. After all, we’re always completing different tasks and the time of day is always changing. Indeed, the ability to adjust the brightness of your lights cannot be emphasized enough.
Nobody wants a super bright light before going to bed or a dim light for reading, and what if you want to turn down the lights in the dining room to create an intimate atmosphere?
Dimmers enable you to alter the atmosphere of the space according to your needs. What’s more, the advent of smart bulbs means adjusting the brightness of your lights has never been easier.
Light your outdoor spaces
The final tip to help you light your space is often an afterthought but no less important.
You may have noticed that pitch black windows during the night will enclose an interior and make it feel small, so any outdoor spaces including balconies and backyards should be incorporated into the lighting design to maintain that sense of spaciousness.
Things like outdoor sconces, spotlights in a pot plant or lighting up a tree with fairy lights will do a world of good for the look and feel of your interior, especially when it comes to perception of space.