Today’s post is one of a 4 part series on lighting in the major rooms of your home; your living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. They’re written by lighting expert and blogger Emily Widle, a representative of Pegasus Associates Lighting and contributing blogger on their company blog. We’re thrilled to host her insights on lighting here, and we know you will all find these tips useful …
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You probably already have general lighting installed in the living room, either with recessed lights, ceiling fixtures, or wall sconces. If you’re still trying to light the entire room with a series of table or floor lamps, you should seriously consider installing a more adequate form of general lighting! Regardless, don’t forget about these important areas in the living room that benefit immensely from additional lighting.
Picture lighting to accentuate artwork
Artwork: Add emphasis to paintings, framed photographs, quilts, and other wall art with halogen lights. Halogens emit a crisp white light with excellent color rendition, providing the best possible illumination to showcase the details and colors in your wall art. A spotlight effect works well for individual paintings, with one halogen display light focused on each item. Picture lights or display lights can be wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted. If you have a particularly large wall art item, consider using a wall washing effect by placing each halogen light two to three feet apart.
Fireplaces: To create a dramatic effect, add recessed downlights in the ceiling directly over the mantle. The light will fall over the surface of the mantle, creating shadows that will draw attention to the fireplace. Wall sconces placed above the mantle on either side of the fireplace also add an aesthetic effect.
Reading areas: Be sure to incorporate adequate task lighting near coaches and armchairs. Ideally, reading lights should be placed behind the reader’s shoulder, to the right or left. A floor lamp, table lamp, or a wall mounted reading light are all great options.
TV area: The glare of the TV screen at night can be straining on the eyes. Since the light levels are constantly changing, your eyes continually have to adapt. Incorporate low-level general lighting near the TV to solve this problem. If you have an armoire or TV stand, you can add mini puck lights under the shelves. This also creates beautiful accent lighting. If your TV is wall-mounted, consider placing a floor lamp nearby with a low level of light.
Cove ceiling: For a unique effect (and if your room allows for it), think about using cove lighting to bounce light indirectly off the ceiling. The accent lighting will provide a soft, warm feel to the space. The top of the cove should be located about 10-14 inches from the ceiling and designed to allow light coming from the cove to wash the ceiling with light.
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Thanks Emily!
Stay tuned everyone for the next installment in the series: lighting guide for your bedroom!
For more lighting information, follow Pegasus Associates Lighting on Twitter and ‘like’ the Pegasus Associates Lighting Facebook page.
Cheers!
Rob.
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Lovely post, some great lighting ideas. I totally agree about getting the right lighting around the TV area: it’s so important to get a balance. Too bright, you ruin the atmosphere… too dark, and your eyes start to hurt (or is that just me? I might be getting old!).
Thanks again for a great post, looking forward to the next installment!
Thanks so much, David! It’s not just you – that harsh glare definitely causes eye strain. Glad you liked the post!
It’s so amazing how light can change a room and even change the way you feel. Thanks for sharing this post because most people don’t think that there’s a need for lighting other than what came with the house – which is mostly all overhead!
I think lighting actually makes all the difference! Great ideas about how to create better ambiance, accentuate an area or even highlight some art pieces ~ Thank God for electricity!
I also love lighting inside shelves and cabinets ~ we often just leave our lamps, or under the cabinet lighting on for softer effect in the evenings…I’ve also seen low lighting on the ground behind plants and tables for another effect. Can get so creative and there are so many beautiful options out there now!
fantastic post — lighting is EVERYTHING and I love that emily shares some real ways to accent what you’ve already got in your home.
Wow – thanks for everyone’s input here. Just as a reminder, this is the first of four posts on the subject of lighting. The second installment launches next Monday!
Thanks again, everyone!
Great post Emily! Psyched to see two of my Twitter faves – Builddirect and Pegasus – team up on a blog post series.
I will trim down parts of the furnishings budget to ensure that my clients have a budget for the right lighting. Highlighting art and other decor is so important, as are layering light. What’s the point of having beautiful things if you can’t see them, right?
Also, I always add dimmers so that the lights aren’t too bright while watching TV, but will have to try your mini-puck light idea. Good tip!
Can’t wait for your second installment…
Thanks, everyone! Catherine- dimmers are such a great option for the TV area as well. I’m glad you budget in lighting for your client’s projects. It’s something that people often don’t factor in but seems to make all the difference in the end as far as design aesthetic.
Teri – You’re right, lighting inside shelves & cabinets, or under cabinet lighting on a dimmed setting, provides for great night lighting in the evening.
Shannon, Erin – Thanks so much for commenting!
Fantastic post Emily. In particular, you raise an excellent point about the constantly fluctuating light levels from the television and the need to put some low level lighting there. I’ll be sure to tell my clients that. I’m sure they’ll be happy to protect the eyes of their children.
I look forward to reading the next post in your series!
Cheers,
Debbie