Lighting can make or mar your home’s aesthetic. There is no point in having a well-thought colour scheme and décor pieces if your lighting is harsh and doesn’t make your guests feel warm and welcomed.
For those who are wondering what ambient lighting is, it is nothing but a sophisticated term used for general lightening in the house. It is the basic light that illuminates your room. There are three types of lighting used by interior designers to decorate your home- ambient light, task light and accent light. While ambient light is the primary source of light, task light helps in performing chores and accent lights are primarily used to highlight décor elements in a room.
Here are 6 easy tips to choose the perfect ambient house lighting.
- Understand your lighting need
Before you head to a lighting store, you must understand your general lighting need. Observe your space and note some of the most common activities for which you will require artificial lights. You can also note the areas you want to highlight and the nooks you want to turn into cosy spots with softer, romantic lights.
- Decide on the type of fixture
Some of the most common fixtures for ambient lighting include wall scones, lamps, chandeliers, recessed lighting, track lighting and torchieres. While chandeliers are a great fit for living spaces and bathrooms, wall scones are ideal for narrow corridors where other lights won’t be practical. Decide on the size and the right intensity you require from all the fixtures. You can go all out when it comes to the size of the chandelier, however, you will have to choose a small scone for narrow passages and fix them at a certain level to ensure no one bumps into them.
- Pick the right intensity
You don’t want people to remember your house for its harsh fluorescent lights. Go for subtle, warm lights over cool lights with too much glare. Decide on the bulb’s wattage depending on its functionality. For example, install a bright fixture for your living space or kitchen, whereas you can opt for soft, romantic lighting for your bedroom space.
- Choosing the right spots
Observe your house and decide on which areas need to be accented and where you want to place your primary light sources. A proper balance is a must when you are choosing your house lighting. While too little light will make the space look depressing, bright lights from all corners will surely give you a migraine.
- Install dimmer switches
A dimmer switch helps you control the intensity of a fixture and is a must-have if you want to change the mood of the room with your lights. With the help of dimmer switches, you can double up a chandelier as an accent light to feature your statement living room sofa or turn up the intensity of your wall scone to use it as a reading light.
- Pair it with your home décor
A great way to make sure your house lighting complements your décor is to choose accent colours from your furniture pieces and wall colours and buy fixtures that look cohesive with them. For example, if your bedroom has a warm neutral palette, then you can opt for a beige lampshade that will match the rest of the décor of the room.
Ambient lighting doesn’t just evenly illuminate your space, it sets the mood of the room and ties together all the other elements of the home décor. You can also manipulate the sense of space in your house and open up a room with the right ambient lighting.
Understanding home lighting can seem overwhelming and daunting. So, if you want experts to guide you to choose the perfect lighting for your sanctuary, then browse through the Asian Paints website and choose the best, energy-saving ambient lighting for your house from their trustworthy lighting stores.
