Now that Daylight Savings Time has come to an end you may notice your home seems a little darker. Prepping dinner at your kitchen island or reading on the couch definitely felt different a few weeks ago. With the sun setting earlier, your evenings will no longer be illuminated by natural light and you’ll need to rely on the lighting within your house. Here we’ll share all the expert lighting tips you’ll need to ensure a bright home this holiday season.

 

1. Build out your layers.

The key to good lighting is layering. Start with your foundation, which will provide an even illumination throughout the entire room. While natural light from windows will provide this during the day, in the evening you’ll require overhead lighting.

Then focus on the areas that require a little extra light, such as above your kitchen island or beside the corner of the couch.

You can achieve spotlight lighting with table lamps where needed, and under-cabinet lighting for kitchen cabinets. To accent each room’s architecture, adjustable recessed lights or track lights are the best for highlighting. As your final layer, chandeliers and other types of decorative lighting can complement your design and make a room feel more homey.

 

2. Consider installing dimmers.

Do you actually enjoy the romantic ambiance winter’s dark evenings bring? Then dimmers could be the perfect solution for you. They allow you to get cozy when you want, but also light things up when needed. Grabbing a mug and some hot cocoa from your kitchen cabinets requires bright light. Cuddling up in your favorite chair while drinking it does not. As an added bonus, dimmers actually save energy and reduce the frequency of changing bulbs.

 

3. Avoid shadows and glare.

When it comes to lighting, bigger isn’t necessarily better. A lot of homeowners make the mistake of installing one large ceiling fixture. While this will give you light, it will also give you shadows and glare. It is much more pleasing to spread out lighting (like we discussed in our first tip) and use a variety of bulbs.

Let’s take the kitchen for example, where task lighting is so important. You’d use your lowest watt bulbs for your ambient lighting, a mid-range (such as 100 watts) for under kitchen cabinets, and your highest watts for sconces or wall lights.

 

4. Swap incandescent bulbs for energy-saving options.

Energy-efficient lighting lasts longer and saves energy, which saves you money. When purchasing bulbs choose light emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) bulbs. They cost more than their traditional counterparts upfront, but they don’t have to be replaced as often and will also reduce your energy bill.

 

5.  Use accent lights to make what matters most the focal point of the room.

While some of us are in the more serious nesting stage, other may not have all the furniture and décor needed to make a room feel complete. Accent lighting can help with this by directing eyes where you want them. Maybe your living room has a beautiful fireplace or your dining room table is your favorite piece in the home. You can strategically place lighting to create a flow of light in the direction you want. 

 

 

At The RTA Store we help make your dream kitchen a reality with RTA (Ready To Assemble) and Pre-Assembled kitchen cabinets, and accessories with the same (if not better) quality you would find at any retail store but for a fraction of the price. Stop by our website or give us a call and let us make your kitchen dreams come true with the help of our free kitchen design tool!