Pro Tips for Lighting 10 Rooms and Outdoor Areas
Get professional advice for lighting your kitchen, bathroom, living room, office, patio and more
No one lighting scheme will work for every room or area of your home. The lighting requirements for your kitchen, where you cook and prep food, is different than those for a bedroom, where you relax and sleep. Professional lighting designer David Warfel has written Houzz articles covering lighting plans for 10 rooms and areas of a home and landscape. Check out this roundup and click on the story link below each one for complete lighting plans.
2. Bathroom Vanity Lighting
Getting bathroom vanity lighting right can make getting ready in the morning a breeze. Properly positioned vanity lights should emit soft, diffuse light that reduces shadows and makes it easy for you to look your best. Light fixtures, pendants or sconces on both sides of a mirror will bring diffuse, even lighting to your bathroom vanity. Here’s how to create perfect vanity lighting.
Your Guide to Perfect Bathroom Vanity Lighting
Shop for bathroom vanity lights on Houzz
Getting bathroom vanity lighting right can make getting ready in the morning a breeze. Properly positioned vanity lights should emit soft, diffuse light that reduces shadows and makes it easy for you to look your best. Light fixtures, pendants or sconces on both sides of a mirror will bring diffuse, even lighting to your bathroom vanity. Here’s how to create perfect vanity lighting.
Your Guide to Perfect Bathroom Vanity Lighting
Shop for bathroom vanity lights on Houzz
3. Living Room Lighting
A well-lit living room requires five layers of light. Light for “doing” provides illumination for tasks you and your family perform in the space. Light for “knowing” helps you carry on conversations and move through the space. Light for “feeling” makes it easier to relax after a long day at work. Light for “changing” helps you adjust to the time of day and the task at hand. And light to help “tell your story” highlights your personal style. Discover how to create a living room lighting plan that covers all these layers.
How to Light Your Living Room
A well-lit living room requires five layers of light. Light for “doing” provides illumination for tasks you and your family perform in the space. Light for “knowing” helps you carry on conversations and move through the space. Light for “feeling” makes it easier to relax after a long day at work. Light for “changing” helps you adjust to the time of day and the task at hand. And light to help “tell your story” highlights your personal style. Discover how to create a living room lighting plan that covers all these layers.
How to Light Your Living Room
4. Dining Room Lighting
A chandelier over a table is a classic start to a well-lit dining room, but if you want to create the most comfortable, functional and stylish environment, you will need to address all five layers of lighting. Here’s how to develop a layered lighting plan that will help you enjoy your time around the dinner table.
The 5 Layers of a Well-Lit Dining Room
A chandelier over a table is a classic start to a well-lit dining room, but if you want to create the most comfortable, functional and stylish environment, you will need to address all five layers of lighting. Here’s how to develop a layered lighting plan that will help you enjoy your time around the dinner table.
The 5 Layers of a Well-Lit Dining Room
5. Bedroom Lighting
We all need sleep, and many of us could use more of it and of higher quality. Light can either disrupt your sleep or help you sleep better. The trick is knowing what kind of light to use in your bedroom and when and where to use it. The following tips will help you layer in proper bedroom lighting, allowing for better mornings, safer nights and hopefully more productive days in between.
How to Light Your Bedroom Right
We all need sleep, and many of us could use more of it and of higher quality. Light can either disrupt your sleep or help you sleep better. The trick is knowing what kind of light to use in your bedroom and when and where to use it. The following tips will help you layer in proper bedroom lighting, allowing for better mornings, safer nights and hopefully more productive days in between.
How to Light Your Bedroom Right
6. Home Office Lighting
Working from home is more common than ever, so it’s important to get your home office or workspace lighting right. Consider these ideas for ensuring that your home office draws in natural light, is functional, adjusts to the time of day and is comfortable.
4 Steps to Home Office Lighting That Works
Working from home is more common than ever, so it’s important to get your home office or workspace lighting right. Consider these ideas for ensuring that your home office draws in natural light, is functional, adjusts to the time of day and is comfortable.
4 Steps to Home Office Lighting That Works
7. Ceiling Lighting
Designers often call the ceiling the “fifth wall” in a room, and just like the other walls in a decorated space, the ceiling deserves the same level of attention to design. Discover the best lighting techniques to highlight nine common ceiling features.
How to Light Your Ceiling Right
Designers often call the ceiling the “fifth wall” in a room, and just like the other walls in a decorated space, the ceiling deserves the same level of attention to design. Discover the best lighting techniques to highlight nine common ceiling features.
How to Light Your Ceiling Right
8. Stair Lighting
Designers now apply multilayered lighting approaches to most spaces, and stairs are no exception. Step lights, linear LED accents and other ingenious lighting tricks help to showcase staircases and make them safer to traverse. Check out these eight lighting strategies to make your staircases shine.
8 Great Ways to Light Up Stairs
Designers now apply multilayered lighting approaches to most spaces, and stairs are no exception. Step lights, linear LED accents and other ingenious lighting tricks help to showcase staircases and make them safer to traverse. Check out these eight lighting strategies to make your staircases shine.
8 Great Ways to Light Up Stairs
9. Patio Lighting
Summer brings warmer nights and the yearning to linger outdoors. But once the sun goes down, your patio or deck requires special lighting to make it as inviting as the inside of your home. Here are six easy ways you can transform your patio or deck lighting.
6 Ideas for Lighting Your Patio
Summer brings warmer nights and the yearning to linger outdoors. But once the sun goes down, your patio or deck requires special lighting to make it as inviting as the inside of your home. Here are six easy ways you can transform your patio or deck lighting.
6 Ideas for Lighting Your Patio
10. Exterior Lighting
Lighting up the front of your house right is a great way to boost your home’s curb appeal and make it feel warm and inviting for guests. Discover the right way to light up the front of your house by using six common outdoor lighting features.
How to Light the Front of Your House
More on Houzz
3 Reasons to Hire a Lighting Designer
Look for a lighting designer near you
Shop for outdoor lighting
Lighting up the front of your house right is a great way to boost your home’s curb appeal and make it feel warm and inviting for guests. Discover the right way to light up the front of your house by using six common outdoor lighting features.
How to Light the Front of Your House
More on Houzz
3 Reasons to Hire a Lighting Designer
Look for a lighting designer near you
Shop for outdoor lighting
Developing a layered lighting plan will help you create a functional, adaptable and illuminated kitchen. Your kitchen lighting scheme should start with creating a functional workspace. Adding lights where you need them the most, such as above countertops, sinks and cooktops, will let you perform manual tasks in a bright and safe atmosphere. Read this story about the five layers of a well-lit kitchen to learn more.
The 5 Layers of a Well-Lit Kitchen
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