Choosing The Right Lighting For Each Room

Lighting can feel like a very small part of your interior design for any room, but it can have a big impact on the atmosphere in a room. As you work your way through your home, you will be looking for different looks and feels in each room, which is why it is important to choose the right lighting for various rooms.

At Home Lighting Store, we have a vast selection of lighting solutions and accessories with each option having a unique style and feel. As experts, we know what will and won’t work in each room of your house.

In this blog, we share how to choose the right lighting, offering examples of the types of lights you might want to complement the feel of your room.

Typically, a living room is a multipurpose space, used for relaxing and watching TV, reading, playing games, and entertaining. With this in mind, you want to be able to keep options open, offering different lighting solutions to match the various ways that you will be using the space.

For example, you don’t want a bright overhead light when watching the television.

This could be achieved by choosing to install a couple of different lighting options, such as a ceiling light, a floor lamp and wall lights.

Alternatively, switch your regular on/off light switches with dimmers so that you can control the brightness depending on the activity you are doing in the room.

Types of lighting that work in your living room:

• Chandeliers - a form of ceiling light that can be elegant and eye-catching. The numerous light bulbs mean plenty of light is emitted for activities that require a bright space. When paired with dimmer switches, these are versatile lights.
• Floor lamps - add a floor lamp in one corner to create the perfect reading nook and to add additional lighting when needed.
• Recessed lighting - living rooms can be busy spaces, and if you have low ceilings, you can’t afford to take up vertical space with lights, so these provide overall illumination without taking up space.

Your kitchen will need to be light so that you can see what you are doing while cooking. You don’t want to be guessing where the carrot is while you chop it!

In the kitchen, you will need to ensure there is plenty of lighting around worktops, sinks and cooking areas so that you can be safe and efficient.

In this space, you want clear visibility and will need to focus, meaning you don’t have to worry about low brightness. Use bright and cool lighting to enhance visibility and maintain a clean look.

Solely using ceiling lights can often cause shadows as you cook because you are usually unable to get lights directly over countertops due to cupboards being in the way. In this case, kitchen cabinet lighting can provide the direct lighting needed while reducing shadows getting in the way.

Types of kitchen lighting include:

• Pendant lighting - these are stylish, complementing your interior design within the kitchen and can be functional over kitchen islands or breakfast tables.
• Spotlights - these often include three or more lights that can be positioned to face opposite directions, projecting light across the whole room.
• Recessed downlights - save space with recessed lighting and place them across the available ceiling to make sure every part of your kitchen is enlightened.

Bedroom lighting is similar to living room lighting as these rooms are living spaces.

The difference is that you are likely to want to relax more in your bedroom and will be looking for lighting solutions that facilitate sleepiness.

Use soft and warm lighting to create a relaxing ambience for you to sink into.

If you plan to sit in bed reading or completing other activities, think about adding bedside table lamps to reduce the vibrance of lighting from the ceiling light.

The bedroom is another great place to install dimmer switches so you can control the level of light from your overhead ceiling lights.

Types of lighting that work well include:

• Table lamps - there is a range of table lamps, which means you can always find something to fit your bedroom’s look and feel.
• Wall Sconces - save space and create more of an ambience by lighting certain areas of the room.
• Dimmers - use dimmers to adjust light levels smoothly to help wind down in the evenings.

Bathroom lighting can be quite complex because of how they are used.

On one hand, you want bright lights that enable you to use mirrors for grooming and applying makeup. In these instances, you want to make sure there aren’t any shadows on the mirror when standing in front of it because these can make grooming difficult.

On the other hand, you want to create a nice relaxing ambience, especially if you have a bath in the space.

Of course, safety is the other consideration needing to be made for bathroom lighting, as the space can become moist and humid with use you need to make sure fixtures can deal with this.

Types of bathroom lighting include:

• Vanity lighting - lit mirrors, magnifying mirrors and lights above the mirror provide sufficient lighting for grooming and make-up application.
• Recessed lighting - these lights are a great option for above showers or baths and are often chosen for bathrooms because they are sealed into the ceiling, making them more suitable to the dampness and humidity of a bathroom.
• Wall lighting - these can be stylish and provide a level of light needed for bathroom uses, especially in downstairs toilets, where they are unlikely to need to be suitable for high levels of moisture.

Outdoor lighting is often neglected or a last thought for those renovating, but it can make a difference to the space just as much as it can inside your home.

Make sure outside your home is safe with lit pathways, entrances and driveways. Also, use lighting creatively to highlight unique and interesting aspects or features in your garden. With the British weather, you need to make sure that the lights you choose are weather-resistant.

Types of outdoor lighting:

• Floodlights - these are powerful solutions that are guaranteed to provide enough lighting to keep everyone safe and well-lit.
• Path lights - use wall or bollard lights to light up the pathway.
• String lights - use outdoor fairy lights around your social area to create a soft and cosy atmosphere.

At Home Lighting Store, we stock a wide range of lights for every space in your home. Whether you are looking for something elegant for your traditional kitchen or contemporary feature lighting for your living room, we have a solution.

Visit our showroom in Christchurch to see the lights in person, or browse our online shop and order online for quick delivery nationwide.

Don’t forget, if you are looking for some lighting accessories, we also supply these, so take a look and find what you need.

Not sure what you need? Our team are experts when it comes to lighting and using it to create the perfect atmosphere, look and feel. If you need help choosing the most suitable lights for your space, don’t hesitate to contact us for some help and advice. Call us on 01202 474697 or complete our online contact form and we will get in touch.