Interior designers are always coming up with great ideas when it comes to lighting in the residential environments. When it comes to lighting dilemma, so many fixtures that you have in living areas, kitchens and bathrooms are simply wasting energy and do not get light where you want the most. Why is that? It’s all because the homeowners are unsure of lighting solutions & tricks of the trade.
Perhaps that’s the reason why knowing what not to choose can be of great help in making you a pro. Therefore, we’ve come up with a list of common lighting mistakes that must be avoided. So let’s dive in;
Recessed Down lights everywhere
It’s amongst the most common errors that lighting design professionals come across. Builder spec versions of can lights are for sure inexpensive, and homeowners also think that laying them out in a regular grid will spread the light everywhere. But you know what, that’s not that case at all.
The optics of these lights will allow only a little more than half the lumen output of the lamp to escape. Furthermore, can lights usually don’t put enough light on vertical surfaces that’s exactly where your eyes perceive light? As a result, you’ll be wasting nearly half of the watts making space feel like a cave even after having an array of can lights.
Forgetting task lighting
It has more to do with the kitchen design trends though, you’ve got so many ways to light the counter like using fluorescent, xenon or LED task lights right under the upper cabinets. In case the kitchen design doesn’t have upper cabinets over some work surfaces, no need to worry. Then you can go for the wall-mounted or ceiling recessed adjustable fixtures, they would have a great impact.
If you want to make it look even more enticing, try adding the low voltage halogen fixtures along with a narrow flood beam distribution and try focusing them on the task area. Keep in mind that you need to choose your fluorescent or LED color temperature wisely.
Using down lights over the vanity
People often do this without even realizing that they need to add the lights on the side to do that. You might have noticed that when you stand directly under a down light, and there’s no light at the sides, it gives exaggerated & unflattering shadows. Therefore, make sure that you use down light over the sink as its fine to accent the nickel faucet you’ve specified, but also don’t forget to add the lights on the side for tasks like shaving, tweezing, and applying makeup.
Admit this! You need light at the sides of the mirror especially at the eye level to minimize shadows alongside providing an even distribution. The best way to do this is installing sconces flanking the mirror.
Forgetting to add task & accent lighting
If you are looking to add elegance to your ambiance, it’s high time you get serious about adding the task and accent lighting. According to the lighting designers, all the well-designed spaces prefer adding different types of lights. Ambient light is general lighting that’s used for walking around, picking items of use and identifying objects.
Task lighting is what adds up to the functionality as it provides the higher lighting for tasks like chopping vegetables (if in the kitchen), shaving (if in a bathroom), or reading (if in the living room).
Accent light is meant to highlight artwork like the beautiful glass tile incorporated in the bath and open shelves in the kitchen. If you combine these 3 type in the best ways, you’ll end up with the greater functionality.
