How important is lighting to you?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone, 

One of the key roles of lighting in an interior setting is probably functionality. There are many types of lights, and most likely the lighting one picks needs to suit a purpose, whether that’s to act as decoration, create an atmosphere, or simply provide ample brightness. Some of you might also pay particular attention to how energy hungry a lighting fixture is (being environmentally-conscious here). 

Thinking about desks and other work areas, you might for example lean towards bright, task-specific lighting whereas in a cosy living room, you might explore more warm and atmospheric options … there’s a lot to consider!

How important is lighting to you?💡

What do you look for when choosing the right lighting for your home? 

Feel free to share photos of your designs!

Quincy

[Elaine701]

A few tips about lighting. 

First, lighting design is divided into two distinct groups: 

1) Functional lighting

The purpose of functional lighting is to light an area or object, such as workspace, counter tops, general room lighting, etc.. In most cases, the lamp itself is not the purpose of the fixture, it is to light up another object. 

2) Ornamental lighting. 

This would include things like chandeliers, table or floor lamps or other artworks where the lamp itself is the focus, not the lighting it produces. 

Ornamental lighting, generally speaking, won't do a great job of lighting an object, such as a dining table or artworks on the wall or a counter top. Those things are best achieved by employing functional lighting designed for that. 

One example of this is using a chandelier alone to light a dining table (I love chandeliers, but apply them properly). It looks great, but doesn't do a great job of lighting the table. Adding a few overhead spotlights aimed at the table will better achieve the result of adequate table lighting, in addition to the chandelier. 

And in the (highly likely) case where the (functional) lamp used to light an object is overhead, or above the object to be lit, it's always best to conceal the lamp itself, as the light from it can shine in your eyes and distract from the function of lighting the intended object. A good example of this is recessed lighting. You don't see the light from the lamp itself, you only see the object it is lighting up. And that tends to be very pleasing, particularly for photos. 

And of course, dimmers for general room lighting are a godsend. You don't always want bright lighting, especially in a  dining or living area.  Kitchens generally don't need dimmers. You either want light (and it should light all surfaces well) or you don't want it on. It need not be more complicated than that. Same is true with bathrooms. 

Control:

Beyond the lighting itself, keeping control of it in a very simple manner has some big advantages, especially for guests unfamiliar with the environment. 

For example I've seen places which have a separate switch for every light. This will cause confusion to many guests, because they either can't find the switch for the light they want, or they can't be bothered to shut them off when they leave or go to bed. 

So, guests will find that one switch that turns on or off the dining room (for example) makes it all very simple and comfortable. You can (should) have multiple switches in multiple convenient locations (e.g., in the room and another by the main entrance) but they all should do the same thing; On or off the entire area they control. Separate dimmers facilitate setting the desired ambiance, but one switch should turn it all on or off. And they're much more likely to turn them off if it's that convenient. 

Colour temperature:

One of the great things about LED lighting is the ability to choose colour temperature. "Warm" or "cold" light. This is also important.

My rule is that living areas such as dining, lounges, and bedrooms should use warm light (2500-3500 kelvin). It feels soft and comfortable.

Workplaces, such as Kitchens and bathrooms should use cooler, more "clinical" light (3700-4500 Kelvin) as this gives the impression of cleanliness and is generally better for workspaces. 

It's all very psychological, but a cleverly lit space will leave guests with the impression that your space not only "just feels good", but is stylish as well. And it will also show in your photos! 

Good luck and happy hosting! 

/tuppence

[J-Renato0]

@Quincy 

Lampshades is a must.
One on each side of the double bed.
If the listing has a lounge/living-room, at least one lampshade.

[Quincy]

What's your set-up @J-Renato0? Do you have any photos to share? 😃

[J-Renato0]

@Quincy  Here you are ! 🙂

[Quincy]

Very nice @J-Renato0! 😃

[Iliana675]

I'm sorry tried it all if you don't have natural sun can't work remote it really depresses and fatigue u

[Ted307]

@Quincy 

We think lighting is very important, too. We put a hanging light over the bedside table due to limited space.

[Quincy]

Interesting! Do you have a photo of this? 👀 @Ted307 

[Huma0 · Accepted solution]

@Quincy 

I've a bit of a sucker for style over substance. For me, lighting should be beautiful as well as practical and sometimes I have to remind myself to focus a bit more on the latter! 

I love chandeliers, and have them in almost every room of my house, even one one the bathrooms (you can just see a bit of it here) and yes, I have had this approved as legal for my electrical safety certificate. 

In the living room, I have the most enormous chandelier. It's four foot high. When I bought it, the builders said, "You're not furnishing Buckingham Palace you know..." but with the high ceilings, I thought I could get away with it 🙂 On the ground floor, the ceilings are not very high, so apart from the chandeliers over the dining table (where no one is going to hit their head), I've had to go for flush lighting on the ceilings and wall lights.

On the practical side, I really think that a bedside lamp is an absolute must. Mine are quite pretty, but there are so many affordable options out there, I just don't understand any host that doesn't provide a bedside table and lamp.

On the less practical side, I also have some lights that are purely decorative. In one of the bedrooms, I have a cherry blossom light similar to the below trailing around the side of a mirror. It serves little purpose other than being pretty and I have added a couple of little (fake) birdies to the branches as the room has a little bit of a bird theme.

[Quincy]

I love the natural light @Huma0! I wish I had a bit more of that in my bathroom 👀. Also, my wife mentioned that the cherry blossom lights are lovely 😊. Good to know where you got them from as she might do some searching 😉. 

[Huma0]

@Quincy @Stephanie1624 

That photo was of a similar light as I couldn't find it at Habitat anymore. The one I have is a bit more elaborate and has a silver, rather than black, base. 

When the guest in that room checks out, I will try to remember to take a photo of it. It's not in the listing photos as it was added later.

In the bathroom, I opted for window film rather than blinds as I personally like the light flooding in from the big windows. It also means one less thing to clean as you only need to clean the windows and not dust gathering blinds as well. In one of the bedrooms, there are large windows with slatted shutters. I'm not joking when I say it takes at least 30 minutes to dust just the shutters in that room!

[Stephanie1624]

@Huma0 Could I ask where you got the branch lights? They're stunning!

[Huma0]

@Stephanie1624 

I bought the light years ago from Habitat and it's called the Cherry Blossom Light by Tsé Tsé for Habitat. I don't think they sell them anymore, but you might be able to pick one up on Ebay or FB Marketplace etc.

People do seem to be charging a lot for them, even though they are used. I think the original price was around £50 and it came with some spare little bulbs, which I've not had to replace yet as it's not something that guests turn on all the time.

[Heather133]

I think this is one of the reasons it's important to spend time "living" in your space. Often when I'm opening a home for an arrival, I'll sit down for a moment to check messages and invariably I notice something I hadn't during a walk through. You really get a better feel for where additional lighting would be welcome.

I also turn almost every light on an hour or so before guests arrive. I think it's easier for guests to find a switch to turn off a light than it is to turn one on! It's also inviting to the guest walking in.

Our outside lights are left on with a motion sensor bulb installed to light up when guests arrive. They are in downlight fixtures so as not to cause light pollution for the wildlife nearby.

[Fred13]

Btw, speaking of lightning: amazon.com/ASALL-Waterproof-Bluetooth-Conversion-Application/dp/B09DY48FMG/ref=rvi_sccl_1/132-7993122-6196432?pd_rd_w=SCl6z&content-id=amzn1.sym.f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_p=f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_r=KBZDG2E44M07T08Y4SXS&pd_rd_wg=vr3i0&pd_rd_r=84e9305d-56a2-4939-b4a8-575e9fbeacb9&pd_rd_i=B09DY48FMG&psc=1

There is an endless choice of them today and they bring instant music (Bluetooth) to anywhere in a home. Surprisingly tough and excellent sound.

[Quincy]

Interesting! I think I've seen IKEA also sell those lights that have built in Sonos speakers/bluetooth @Fred13 

[Anita1104]

Lighting is so important for feeling free and relax the eyes. A good lightening house, chalet, apartment, street feels good and safe and doesn't scare you. I love lights.

Anita

[Quincy]

I love the setup you have there @Anita1104! ✨

[John5097]

@Quincy 

Very important. I ended up going with all LED. The overhead can lights are are dimmable, for living area, bedroom and bathroom. Guest all like different brightness and one of the details that I think contribute to very positive reviews. 

The bedroom and couch have wall mounted old school lamps with articulating arms. The bedroom is so small that it works. Guest even mention how spacious it is in the reviews when its only 9 feet wide. Also beside the couch the same wall mounted lights with switch. A lot of guest turn one light off. 

When I was renovating this I first purchased hanging chandelier type lighting that was 75% off but so glad I returned them all and went with the overhead can lights. 

Used LED strips under the counters. They only came with the plug, and I wanted direct wiring. Funny story, as I was looking at them trying to configure a plug or if I could just cut the plug, I happened to ask the person next to me at Lowes and he was one of the stars from reality show Moonshiners. I was like, wait a minute, I recognize that voice! LOL.. 

Also outdoor lighting is important. I only have one light by the door but it works. Also guest suggested lighting for the drive so I added that. I don't really like outside lighting but they love it. Even that is tricky to get the right temp and not too bright, but there are a lot of options. 

Oh my electric bill has gone down and was already very efficient. It was the exact same. The lights use almost no power, even though there are 23 total. The added insulation and ductless AC /heat actually reduced the energy consumption. 

[Quincy]

This looks great @John5097! I have LED lights all over the place as well. I've also purchased a few floor lamps that emit a soft/warm light (but not too dark). No way you met someone from Moonshiners! I used to watch that on Discovery channel years ago!