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It is not easy to light up your home with just the right amount of lighting. Some areas in your home may feel over-bright while others may seem too dark. All the while, you and your family members will be left feeling uncomfortable. It can trigger negative emotions, headaches, and feeling tired all the time. The right amount of light is essential for a good environment at home.
It is important to calculate lighting before installing the right fixtures so that you can get comfortable levels of lighting. This can be easily solved by understanding the following common problems and the solutions often faced by homeowners.
Understanding Problems Related to Lighting
Problem 1: Uncomfortable Lighting
The human body is highly sensitive to light and if a light that is too dim or too bright surrounding you, it may cause anxiety. The levels of discomfort are something that cannot be ignored and it affects you and your family. It can lead to feelings of disagreements and anger amongst all members. This can be solved easily by adding layers of light.
Every room should have three layers of light. These are:
- Ambient – ambient light is the general light usually placed on the ceiling. This is the general light of the room.
- Task – a task light points at a specific function like used for reading and cooking.
- Accent – accent lights are used to highlight or decorate a space like put a painting under the spotlight.
Add these three layers of lighting to make your room or any space in your home aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. Adding a dimmer to the lighting setting can help you control the levels of brightness according to your needs. These are inexpensive to add so the option is light on your wallet.
Problem 2: Not Enough Light in the Bathroom
If you focus on light for the entire bathroom space will make your bathroom look dingy and dark. No matter the size of your bathroom, having just one ceiling light will not get the job done. In order to solve this problem, always add an additional vanity light on the top of your mirror. This will make grooming easier and when it comes to shaving – safe.
You can add a flush mount or a semi-flush mount fixture that will create the perfect ambient lighting for your bathroom space. You can also consider adding a third light option like a few recessed lights. Your vanity will be bright enough for a good grooming session.
Problem 3: Troubling Sight when Making a Meal
The lack of task lighting in the kitchen can make you grumpy when you cook. Ambient light is never enough in the kitchen given the fact that cabinets create shadows. This puts your cooking process under a shadow that can cause trouble. When you cook, you need light on the task at hand but all of it gets blocked when you cook.
Under-cabinet lights are the solution to this problem. A well-lit kitchen has smaller lights, which lits up the working surfaces. Adding a few task lighting can also result in a well-lit kitchen. Innovative Lighting for the kitchen also includes fully integrated systems that come with additional outlets and Bluetooth speakers.
Problem 4: Light Fixture Either Too Big or Too Small
This problem occurs when you like a particular light fixture but it is either too big or too small. Installing the right size of light plays an important role in having comfortable lights in your chosen space. A small sized fixture can make it look underwhelming. A fixture too big for space will attract all the attention from the space.
When choosing a fixture, make sure that it does not only fit your décor but is also the right size. There are many methods you can use in order to determine the right size of a fixture. A simple trick that interior designers use is to create a mock design using cardboard. This helps in giving a general idea about the shape and the size of the lighting fixture.
Problem 5: The Lights are too Bright
Sometimes builders, contractors, and even homeowners can be carried away with adding too many lights in a given space. Adding too many recessed lights can make your home feels like a hospital hallway or an office lobby. The way to fix this problem is to create a lighting plan. You can always contact a lighting specialist who can help you determine the right amount of lighting needed for your home.
The expert can help you with the size of the fixtures and other specifics like the lumen output for a given area. Usually, this is done when you are in the process of renovating your home or building a new one entirely. However, if you still want to make things right with the lights in your home, add separate switches like dimmers with the light switches. This will help you control the lights in your home.
Rules for Installing Ceiling Lights
Ceiling lights are the basic ambient lights are, therefore, the most important part of the plan. Finding and installing the right fixtures will help you start with the perfect lighting plan for your home. Most modern homes are pre-wired for ceiling light. This is usually placed in the middle of the room on the ceiling. Some lights are placed high up on the walls.
Light fixtures shaped in a glass dome are a popular choice for many. However, innovative technology with creative designs has opened many more options for homeowners and interior designers. After the introduction of such creative lights, there is no reason to go for a generic one anymore. A huge variety of styles and finishes perfectly synchronizes with your taste and home style. You can choose from the modern glam to low-key farmhouse designs when it comes to choosing a ceiling light.
Keeping in mind the following facts will help you determine the right kind of ceiling light for your home. If you are looking to calculate the right amount of light needed for your home, you can read more here.
- Determine the Height of the Ceiling Light
When it comes to selecting the size of a light, designers have plenty of ways to determine it according to the ceiling heights. However, when you are shopping for ceiling light, there is only a number you need to remember and that is Seven. When someone walks under a ceiling light, it should be at least seven feet above the heads. Therefore, a ceiling light cannot hang lower than 84 inches above the floor. Measure the height of your ceiling and subtract 84 inches. The number you get is the maximum height for your new light fixture.
- Determine the Brightness of the Ceiling Light
A general rule of thumb is to have layers of light in the targeted area. As mentioned before, combining different types of lights will help in creating the perfect ambiance for your space. The first thing to consider is installing different sources of light to ensure that task areas are well lit. While the accent and task lights can be of different brightness, the ambient or ceiling light should be really bright. The reason behind it is that it will provide general lighting to the room.
If you want to turn your ceiling light into accent lighting, make sure you add dimmers to your switches. This way you can control the brightness of the general lights in your home. In bedrooms and living rooms, you can make additions with lamps to create a comfortable ambiance.
- Understating Flush Mount Ceiling Lights
If you have rooms in your home that have a low ceiling, using a flush mount light is the perfect solution. You do not need to install a ceiling light in such areas. Flush mounts can be installed easily and do not require additional wiring. They can be fixed on the existing wiring in any room. A flush mount that is designed in a large diameter can cover the marks on the ceiling from the previous ceiling light. These lights fit perfectly on the ceiling as well, so there are other advantages too.
For one, they are easy to maintain and do not attract dust or insects. For another, the low-profile light fixtures fit a ceiling that is only seven to eight feet high. They can be installed easily in hallways, bedrooms, kitchens, and closets. There is a large selection of designs you can choose from that are inexpensive. Since flush mounts are safe and simple, you can install them in areas that are high in traffic.
You can also choose to install a semi-flush mount ceiling light that allows the area to get ambient lights. It has a stem that is at least a foot away from the ceiling allowing the light to cast from both sides of the mount. In this option, you can choose from a variety of colors and materials that matches the aesthetics of your entire home.
At ShineLong, we not only understand all the problems related to lightning you might be facing right now but also offer a wide range of light fixtures to choose from.
About the Author
Nat Huang is the Chief Marketing Officer for ShineLong, a 10 years old manufacturer offering LED tubes, panel lights, led triproof lights, and customized LED lightbar for commercial lighting project. Digital marketing is Nat’s passion and he’s keen to explore the dynamics of ecommerce and LED industry. Follow him on Twitter @imrNat.
