As we all know, lighting is one of the most important elements in a home, not only in terms of functionality but also related to decoration and furniture choies. Here are a few tips to determine what type of lighting is ideal for your home, room by room.
Living Room
The living room is often considered the family space and heart of a home. Lighting should be warm and abundant. I would suggest halogen bulbs that suspend from the ceiling in the center of the room, providing more than enough light yet not too strong. Ideally you should connect it to a switch that has a dimmer. Another interesting choice would be a floor or table lamp, which will add a decorative, cozy element to the space.
Kitchen
Lighting in the kitchen is very important. You must consider how best to illuminate the preparation area, the circulation space as well as the island (if there is one). To illuminate the preparation area, your best option is installing recessed or LED lighting under the cabinets to brighten the countertop. For the circulation or central space, recessed wide beams or a rail with spotlights is perfect. Finally, to light up the island you can use the same recessed wide beams for the circulation space or otherwise install elegant suspended halogen lighting. It is always best to connect lighting for each area to their respective switches (not one switch for all), preferably with a dimmer.
Bathroom
Most bathrooms don’t have windows, therefore it is important to find lighting that resembles natural daylight. The bathroom is a room for care and relaxation. Lighting should be soft yet strong enough to light up the mirror area. For general lighting I would suggest halogen bulbs suspended from the ceiling, always connected to a dimmer. When it comes to lighting around the vanity mirror area, it is imperative to use wall lighting installed above and around the mirror. Why? To put on makeup or simply take care of your face, lighting must come from the front. If lighting only comes from the ceiling it will create shadows on your face and make it more difficult to see yourself clearly. In terms of the bath or shower area, an interesting idea (but not mandatory) is putting in one or two sealed, recessed lights; I would advocate low wattage bulbs.
Bedroomm
A bedroom should be both relaxing and comforting. Lighting should be soft and subdued. Ceiling lights (if the ceiling height allows it) with halogen bulbs would be perfect, as always connected to a dimmer. I also recommend having some lighting on the bedside tables. Table lamps or centered (relative to the bedside tables) wall lamps are perfect for tasks or reading.
Office
If you have an office space in your home, you’ll need a bright, sustained light to illuminate your work and storage areas. A rail with steerable light ‘projectors’ (spotlights) would be ideal. The spotlights allow you to make changes, like moving furniture around, because you can always adjust the lighting to any changes you’ve made.
Where to buy your lights?
Specialty boutiques :
Homier luminaire – http://www.homierluminaire.ca/
Union luminaire – http://www.unionltg.com/
Multiluminaire – http://www.multiluminaire.ca/
Au courant (high end lighting and European imports) – http://aucourantlighting.com/
Online:
Photo: http://www.homierluminaire.ca/
