Nowadays, lights serve an added purpose of acting as a piece of décor to your interiors. They are no more seen as a mere source of lighting. Believe it or not, lights can greatly influence your ambience, sleep patterns and also your brainpower.
Home is where we spend most of our time. And hence, getting the right lights installed is absolutely essential. In addition, each of your room will require a different type of lighting.
With so many options, it can be a bit overwhelming on choosing the right light. We have simplified your problem into 3 simple steps to guide you and help you find your desired light.
Step 1: Consider the function of your room
Your study room, living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom – All of these spaces require different types of lighting. For instance, your study room needs to be brighter than your living room. Generally, there are 3 types of lighting available: ambient, task, and accent.
1) General /Ambient Lighting
It is the overall lighting of a room. It is also termed as “natural light” of the room. There are different options such as a chandelier, pendant light, and track lighting or wall sconces to create ambient lighting.
2) Task Lighting
It is ideal for work or reading area as the lighting is required to be brighter than your ambient lighting. Task lights are used to focus on a specific area. Desk lamps and under-cabinet kitchen lights are common options.
3) Accent lighting
It focuses on highlighting a particular area. For example: highlighting the frame on the wall. Wall lights and spot lights are common accent lights.
Step 2: Selecting the right bulbs
This is the most important step as your bulb is your main source of light. There are different types of bulbs available such as CFL, incandescent, LEDs, etc. But we strongly recommend using LED bulbs.
Why LEDs?
Firstly, LEDs can last up to three times longer as compared to their counterpart. They can be used for all the 3 types of lighting mentioned above.
The latest LEDs now offer the same look like the incandescent bulbs, but with more efficiency and longevity. They may seem to appear expensive at first, but you will end up saving more in the long run because of its power-saving and low energy consumption qualities.
Superior quality LED will offer you high lumen in low watts. Needless to say, higher lumen means a brighter bulb. A typical home bulb produces about 800 lumens that is equivalent to 60 watts.
Depending on your interiors, colour of your walls, how big your room is, the type of lighting you prefer, etc.
There are many online calculators that help you come up with the brightness you require based on your home and preferences. They provide you with rough estimates, but at least you will get an idea about the same. Generally, the following lumen range is ideal.
| Spaces | Lumens |
| Kitchens | 5,000-10,000 lumens |
| Bathrooms | 4,000-8,000 lumens |
| Bedrooms | 2,000-4,000 lumens |
| Living rooms | 1,500-3,000 lumens |
| Dining rooms | 3,000-6,000 lumens |
| Home offices | 3,000-6,000 lumens |
Step 3: Selecting your fixtures
After selecting the brightness, the function of your bulb, you then select the appropriate fixture. Some common fixtures are:
- Ceiling Mount Fixtures – Which are ideal in entry foyers, hallways, bedrooms, task areas, and stairways.
- Chandeliers are best used in dining room or bedrooms.
- Wall-mounted Fixtures can be used in any room, depending on your lighting preference.
- Track Lighting can be used for pretty much in every room where you want something to be highlighted. For instance: an art work.
One important factor to consider is the type and the size of the LED you choose in the fixtures. You want them to be in proportion or else your interiors will look odd.
Every fixture requires a different type of light such as down lights, panel LEDs, COB LEDs, etc.
Conclusion
Every home requirement is different. Depending on your home, you may or may not require a specific design.
For some homes, it is very straightforward regarding the light that needs to be installed. And for others, you may require a guideline to help you with your lighting needs.
