Lighting For Your Home – Key Tips

Lighting is an integral part of any interior design and plays a key role in home decor. Having the appropriate lighting can completely change the atmosphere of a room. The right lighting highlights your home’s best features. A great lighting setup combines different types of lighting to provide a space where you can relax or work.

There are a number of types of different lighting which can accentuate any room in the home or workplace – Ambient, Task, Accent & Decorative/Aesthetic.

AMBIENT LIGHTING
Ambient lighting is general lighting that’s used to evenly light up a room. Also known as ‘mood lighting’, creating ambient light involves using colour, temperature & brightness to create a comfortable & even level of light. Main sources of ambient lighting are; ceiling lights, wall-mounted fixtures or recessed spotlights. In the home, ambient lighting typically comes from the main source of lighting in your rooms. Whereas, in a bar/restaurant setting, ambient lighting is usually dimmed, and of a lower colour temperature. This is mainly because it creates a relaxing atmosphere and would encourage people to stay longer – and spend more.

Ambient Light in a living room created by our stunning Kelsey Chandelier

As can be seen above, you can make a statement in your interior while creating ambient light. Here are four main factors you’ll need to consider when creating your own ambient lighting.

Placement

You’ll need to decide where you’re creating your ambient lighting by picking out the key areas you want to illuminate – dining areas & main living spaces. You will want your ambient light to be evenly dispersed, so central is usually the best starting point. You can brighten up smaller areas that will be dark with some task lighting (table lamps, floor lamps). See below for some task lighting ideas.

Two Iris Table Lamps Providing Task Lighting On A Beautiful Console Table

Colour Temperature

Another important aspect of ambient lighting is colour temperature. You will want the right brightness for the right room. Consider a lower colour temperature for a living room space and a higher colour temperature for a dining/kitchen area. The warmth of a light is measured in Kelvins, which ranges from flame white (2000K) to cool (6000K). For ambient lighting for the homeplace, we recommend a happy medium of between 2000-3000K. This kind of lighting is suited to both creating a cosy atmosphere as well as allowing for basic task completion. See a handy chart below which will explain colour temperature visually.

Find the perfect colour temperature for ambient lighting

Dimmers

Dimmable LED Bulbs are almost essential for creating ambience at different times of the day. It’s fairly likely that the mood in your space during the day is different to the evening. Dim at night for a cosier relaxed vibe, keep them bright during the day for a livelier mood! You can search for the ideal Dimmable LED Bulb in our Lighting Accessories section.

Your Accent Lights

Add extra character to your space by installing accent lighting. There are quite a few options when it comes to accent lighting, including using Table Lamps or LED Strip Lighting. Table lamps come in all shapes and sizes, providing more than one function in the home. In a living room, they are ideal accent lights, used to illuminate smaller, darker areas that ambient light doesn’t reach. There are a wide, varying range of table lamps and choosing one can prove a task in itself. If you simply wish to brighten the space around you, then a functional table lamp will suffice. However, if you are seeking to enhance the visual appeal of a room, then a decorative table lamp is for you.

Decorative Table Lamp – available in-store

Getting the lighting right in your home is key. Hopefully the tips in this guide will help you achieve the perfect cosy atmosphere for your forever home. If you’re seeking more specific advice, pop us an e-mail: hello@maxlite.ie or send us a message on our socials – maxliteirl on Facebook & Instagram. 

Our lights are on display in both our Cavan flagship store & in Callaghans Electrical, Letterkenny, Donegal.