Lighting is an often overlooked aspect, and cost, when redecorating or refurbishing a house. However, it is also a very important one. I am not referring to the amount of natural light that your rooms are privy to, but instead the use of lampshades, point lights or wall sconces. It is essential to get this right because if you fail to do so the room, or indeed your entire home will not have the desired ambience. Sometimes, homes are missing any light at all by the use of dim lighting and dark walls. In this case, you might want to consider some wall lights to brighen up your space. In other cases, some homes have too many strong, harsh lights and are in need of lamps or a dimmer switch to help them manage it. Having the right lighting can completely change the mood of a home, so making sure to get it right is an important aspect of being a home owner.
Personally, I am surprised when I walk into a new home that does not have a dimmer function on their lighting. It is possible that I am alone in this view, but it would appear to be a relatively cost effective method of making sure that your lighting has some diversity to it. It’s quite simple, really; residential electrical service providers similar to Electric Today (homeserviceheroesfl.com/residential-electrical/) that are accessible to you can send experts to take a look at your lighting systems and install dimmer switches in no time. Dimmers are by no means only used when candles are lit and Barry White is playing (if you know what I mean), they have a multitude of uses, whether that be when watching a film but not wanting a completely dark room or when having a dinner party and full bleed light is simply excessive.
I doubt people are still trying to perfect that 80’s office feel…Point lights are most effective when used in modern style kitchens although can be used throughout the building to good effect. They give a clean and minimalist feel whilst allowing for even light exposure throughout the room. A problem with point lights is the amount to use as if too few are used then they are obviously less effective and can leave awkward shadows on the floor, whereas if too many are used then it presents an overkill situation and can also be slightly blinding! Wall Sconces are an excellent way to frame sculptures, mirrors or any other interesting object. They are useful in longer corridors or staircases. One of the main advantages of wall sconces are that they add more character than point lights to the room. They come in many designs, my favourite of which is a Moroccan style theme that casts intriguing shadows. However, with all lighting, wall sconce design must be ‘in-line’ with the design principles of the room. Light shades fall into a similar category in terms of style. They are less popular nowadays but can give the room are more tailored feel than point lights. You may want to go for a different type of ‘stylish’ feel with your lighting, especially if sconces do not fit with the aesthetic. Looking into such designs as cloud lighting to see how they can bring a certain room together, such as dining, may be a good direction to go in, as always, look around before making a definitive choice.
Lamp shades allow you to ‘customise’ the way the lamp illuminates the room. It is sometimes frustrating that one lamp usually will not adequately light a whole room and thus multiple lamps are necessary if this is the only type of lighting used. However, if they are utilized correctly they can provide a much needed ambience to your home.
Written by Chris Watkins, guest blogger for www.roccoborghese.com