Lighting Guide for Beginners

How you choose to light your home can greatly impact your quality of living, from your emotions to how well you sleep at night. In this home lighting guide, we’ll walk you through the fundamentals of lighting for every area in your home.

Bedrooms

When it comes to your bedroom, you can achieve a higher quality of sleep if you strive to create a relaxing, calming, quiet space. Dim lighting is an essential component of achieving a tranquil bedroom in which to get a good night’s rest.

For your bedroom, we suggest using low-wattage bulbs of a warmer shade. Additionally, it is a great idea to install lighting with a dimmer switch. Therefore you can control the vibe with minimal effort. 

If you’re looking for an alternative to adjustable lighting, you can combine low-wattage bulbs and task lights to control the mood. For example, your main overhead light can be soft and dim, but you can add a table lamp to provide you with a brighter light when you want to read or perform other tasks. 

Bathrooms

The bathroom is used for a number of different purposes and everyday tasks that require bright, even lighting. Bathing or showering on slippery wet surfaces, doing hair and/or makeup, and performing first aid. For optimal safety and functionality, equip your bathroom with bright overhead lighting. Also, try to avoid placing lamps in the bathroom so as to preserve valuable surface space. 

Because most bathrooms are smaller than other areas of the home and have low ceilings, you may want to consider simplistic lighting fixtures. Busy accent lights (such as modern industrial lighting fixtures) can easily make a small space feel even more cramped.

Workspace

If you have a home office, a workshop, or a craft room of sorts, it’s best to keep the space well lit to boost your productivity levels. Give yourself sufficient light to complete your work. As far as your color temperature is concerned, we recommend you choose a temperature that will best resemble natural light. (Between 3,000 and 5,000K) This will help to keep you alert and focused as a result.

If you spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen, be mindful of where you place your lighting to avoid a pesky glare or painful eye strain. Combine an ambient light with a desk lamp for a conducive balance.

Kitchen

The kitchen serves as a primary gathering point in which friends and loved ones gather for more than just cooking and eating meals. Create a bright and cheery kitchen with ample ambient lighting. Don’t be afraid to install beautiful modern industrial lighting fixtures above the kitchen island to create a stunning focal point.

You can also install smaller, dimmer lights underneath the cabinets. This is a great way to provide late-night snackers and thirsty kiddos with just enough light to get around without waking the whole house.

Family Room

For family, living, and great rooms, it’s always best to offer a variety of lighting options for different occasions. Try install adjustable lighting with a convenient dimmer switch. That way you can easily cater to a romantic movie night with your significant other, or a family game night.

For a communal gathering space such as this, it’s important to take into consideration the size of the space. You may also want to add an extra floor lamp or two to distribute the light evenly throughout the room.

Refresh Your Home with Old Mill Brick

As you complete your renovations and find new ways to refresh your home’s decor, consider adding a stunning accent wall using our thin brick. Explore Old Mill Brick for more interior design inspiration like this home lighting guide.