5 articles you should read when updating your home lighting

When you have decided to update your interior, lighting definitely needs to be a part of it. But how would go about it? Well, there are few things you can learn here, like how much light you need (see article: Calculate how much light you need) or how big/small the lamps should be to fit right in (see article: What size should my fixture be?) but if you need more information, be sure to check out these five articles.

1. Rookie Mistake: Rules for Lighting

(by The DIY playbook. Article link: https://thediyplaybook.com/2018/10/rookie-mistake-rules-for-lighting.html)

Casey and Finn from The DIY playbook list a few very simple rules in this easy-to-read article while also stressing the big rookie mistake "And the biggest mistake we see is when people don’t really give much thought to the lighting in their homes and instead rely on the overhead lighting to illuminate every space. Eek. That certainly isn’t going to make your home look its best". We cannot agree more! 

The article is enriched with beautiful pictures of the lights and lamps in their own interior, so on top of some wisdom, you also might get some inspiration.  

 2. 7 Big Mistakes You Make Lighting Your Home

(by Lauren Piro for GoodHousekeeping Article link:https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/tips/a31728/interior-lighting-mistakes/ )

If you want to do things right, you better know what is wrong. Therefore, lifestyle institute goodhousekeeping.com has reached out to several interior designers and lighting designers to ask for the biggest mistakes people can make when lighting their homes. The result is this 7 point list that touches layers, fixture size, wall color and many more things you often forget to consider but what the experts claim you definitely should not. 

 3. Our Complete Guide to Lighting your Home

(by Denise O'Connor for Optimise Design Article link: https://optimise-design.com/lighting-tips/)

Irish architect and interior designer Denise O'Conner, who is the founder and managing director of Optimise design in Dublin, has taken the approach in this article not to list a number of rules or tips but to describe how to light the different rooms of a house. What you do and what the function is of a certain space in a home can influence the best lighting for it so Denise has bundled her advise per room. 

Go wild in the hallway and focus on task lighting in your home office. Sounds logic? Well, if we look at the average home, we can only agree that many do not. In the article, she also takes the time to explain various terminologies of lighting, like explaining color temperature (what is warm white), the 4 main lighting functions (ambient, task, accent and decorative), ...

 Our advice is to use this article and if you are in need of design consultancy, contact Optimise design for their services.

 4. The 2017 ALA Lighting planning guide (pdf download)

(by the American Lighting Association (ALA). article link (pdf download): https://alalighting.com/Portals/0/2017%20Lighting%20Planning%20Guide.pdf)

If you need advice, go to the pros. The lighting planning guide made by the American lighting association will be your personal lighting designer explaining to you how to light your home, explaining terminology and how to light different spaces of your home.

Of course, a guide like this can never truly replace an accredited designer but it will help you to apply some of the knowledge they use as well when starting a project. 

5. How to Light Your Bathroom Right

(by Tiffany Carboni for Houzz. article link (pdf download): https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-light-your-bathroom-right-stsetivw-vs~17866243)

We don't have any data but if you want our best guess, still 80% of people light their bathroom wrong. Especially around the sink or vanity mirror people still put lights above their heads throwing a strong light onto the forehead and casting a deep shadow below the eyes, nose, and chin. “Not only is this light ineffective for shaving or applying makeup, but it can also visually age you by 10 years. People should look their best when they look at their reflection.” Instead, use a lighted bathroom mirror or scones with diffused glass on the sides of the mirror. 

Granted, lighting your bathroom is probably the hardest room in your home to do. This space has so many different functions to fulfill; from getting yourself ready in the morning including shaving or dying hear, applying makeup or scrubbing your skin which all require very white bright light to taking a relaxing bath where you want the room to be lit with warm candlelight temperature. There is task lighting, ambient lighting, accent lighting, decorative lighting which all needed to be taken into account. Sounds overwhelming? Well, read the article by Tiffany Carboni and you will feel a lot more knowledgeable and confident about how to do it right. 

In conclusion, lighting your home might be a tedious task at first but reading these five articles will get you on your way. And if you still don't feel comfortable to do it yourself, you can always get in contact with us for free advice via contact@lumigado.com. 

Like, share or comment below if you have any more questions or if you know of any other articles that we should have included in this list.