Lighting 101: Let's Get Lit
What is the first thing you notice when you walk into a room? You might not even realize how much lighting affects what captures your attention. You can illuminate a whole room equally or choose to highlight a favorite piece of decor. My husband loves very dim “mood lighting” and I prefer things light and bright.
When I enter a new space I always pay attention to the illumination and check out the light fixtures. Lighting can convey SO many different things and you can totally develop a vibe just by playing around with lighting. In certain spaces the light fixtures can be considered part of the decor (I LOVE statement lighting 😍). In today’s blog post I am going to lay down the basics of home lighting then in upcoming posts I’ll share the lighting fixtures and specifics we have chosen in our new build.
First, there are four basic types of lighting you’ll want to consider for your home: general/ambient lighting, task lighting, accent lighting, and decorative lighting. It’s important to make sure you have utilize all four types to create balance and visual interest for your space. Ambient lighting comes from the room’s natural light (windows) plus the (typically) ceiling lights. It’s the primary source of light for a room. Task lighting is exactly what it sounds: illumination specific for a certain task. This can be desk lamps, a strategically placed pendant light over a kitchen workspace, etc. Accent lighting refers to illumination of an object or area in hopes of highlighting that item. For example, a fixture that provides lighting to a piece of art work or a light that showcases a special architectural design. Decorative lighting is a light fixture that brings attention to itself and adds character to a room, such as a chandelier. It is usually considered part of the decor.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Let’s talk about lumens. This is very important to know when choosing your bulbs. The higher the lumen, the brighter the bulb. Kelvin rating goes from 2700 to 6500 and varies from soft white to daylight. Soft white is 2700 to 3000 Kelvin and shows up as warm and yellow. This is a typical incandescent bulb color; often used in living rooms, dens, and bedrooms. Warm white is 3000 to 4000 Kelvin and is more yellowish-white and often used in kitchens and bathroom. Bright white is 4000 to 5000 Kelvin which gives off a stark white to blueish tone which typically feels less cozy and is often used for offices and garages. Daylight 5000 to 6000 Kelvin is more bluish and will allow you to see the most color in a room. Typically used for makeup mirrors.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
We look best in warm white because it softens skin tone, reduces imperfections, and is more relaxing for the eyes. Basically, cool white for work spaces and warm white for living spaces is usually recommended.
The video I created below demonstrates how two different color temperatures look in our navy shiplap powder bathroom. (Side note: we didn’t intend to have different Kelvin bulbs but we just haven’t switched them yet). See my earlier blog if you are interesting in doing your own DIY shiplap!
I hope this basic lighting information is helpful to you as you plan your space! Thanks so much for being here!
Sources for this post include: contechlighting.com, cnet.com, ledmontreal.com
God Bless,
You can find me and follow our home journey on Instagram @summer_onthecoast