Did you know that the average American household has at least 45 light bulbs? This explains why currently, lighting accounts for about 8% of the total electricity consumption in the United States. Even so, a well-lit house can add significant value to your interior’s aesthetic value.
There’s so much that goes into choosing the right lighting for your house. It’s essential to settle for an option that gives adequate light while still saving on costs. However, deciding on the perfect light bulbs to complement the lighting can be a real hassle for most people.
Are you stuck trying to determine the best type of lighting for your home? You aren’t alone. Most homeowners have a hard time choosing the best home lighting systems for their houses.
Luckily this guide offers you reliable tips when choosing home lighting systems.
Establish the Purpose of Each Room
When making a choice on the lighting system for your home, focus on each room’s unique functionality. Certain types of lighting will appeal to specific places and not to others. As such, when optimizing your home’s lighting, you need to consider how you intend to use each room.
You need to make three primary considerations at this point. Here’re three categories that should matter.
General Lighting
General lighting may also refer to ambient lighting. This type of lighting makes sense for rooms that illuminate the rest of the house. When lighting this specific space, you might consider either chandelier, pendant lighting, or any form of scones to add that ambient light to the space.
Most times, ambient lighting is useful in pathways, study areas, and fireplaces. You may also consider ambient lighting in seating areas or around coffee tables. When lighting your house, it would be awesome to find ambient lighting for these specific parts of the house.
Task Lighting
When lighting up your home there’re specific sections of the house that serve as working or reading areas. It’s crucial to have brighter lighting for these parts of the house. Study rooms designated for quiet study time work best with task lighting.
You may consider desk lamps or under-cabinet kitchen lights as the most common task lighting options. When considering task lighting, you may also utilize pendants and track lighting to achieve that perfect illumination. However, you need to consider the input of a lighting specialist to help you layer the lights in perfect order.
Accent Lighting
Are you looking to highlight a particular area in your house? You can utilize accent lighting to add style and ambiance to spaces such as the bookcases. This option is also perfect when you want to add dramatic effects or shadows to your spaces.
Have you been struggling to establish the best light bulbs for your accent lighting? You may consider wall lights and landscape lights for such specific areas of the house.
Finding the right blend for your lighting options is essential. Your sitting room can do better with ambient lighting and a combination of accent lighting. You may also consider ambient light overhead with lower task lighting.
The best thing about lighting is that you have the option of playing around with lights. There’s no rule of thumb when it comes to illumination. You can always try out as many ideas as you can to get that perfect mix.
Understand the Type of Light Bulbs
The type of bulb light matters when setting up the lighting system. You should pay attention to the different kinds of light bulbs to ensure that you get the best option for your specific needs. Different light bulbs perform varying functions.
You might need to choose the right light bulbs to avoid disappointments when it comes to lighting. Here’re four of the main types of light bulbs to consider.
Incandescent Bulbs
Incandescent bulbs are the oldies of the lighting industry. These bulbs consist of an airtight-glass enclosure. While incandescent bulbs still function in some homes, they have been undergoing a period of phasing out in favor of more energy-efficient options.
Today the tungsten-filament 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs are not in use in the United States. However, there’re states where these bulbs are still in the market. When setting up your lighting system, ensure that you adhere to the set stipulations in your jurisdiction.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Most American homes have moved towards higher levels of energy efficiency. Most compact fluorescent bulbs use up to 75% less energy when compared to incandescent bulbs. These bulbs also tend to last longer, which makes them more favorable.
CFLs emit a cooler tone of light, which may not work for ambiance lighting. You may have the option to decide between a range of bulbs to compare brightness and temperatures. One of the main reasons why CFLs are less popular is due to the presence of mercury in the bulb.
You also have the option to choose between various sizes and shapes with CFLs. This makes it easy to customize your lighting to fit your specific needs. CFLs bulbs work best in table lamps, track lighting, and ceiling lighting.
LEDs
LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode. These bulbs are energy-efficient and often recommended for lighting in most homes. The LED bulbs have the potential to change the future of lighting in the United States, given that they promote eco-friendly lighting.
LED lights use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than the traditional incandescent lighting. LEDs are perfect for industrial, commercial, and domestic use. These bulbs work well when lighting walkways, parking garages, and all other outdoor areas.
LED light bulbs can keep your home well-lit for more than 60, 000 hours. This makes them a perfect choice for homeowners. The best thing is that LED light fixtures are readily available in the market to suit your specific needs.
LED fixtures guarantee you long-life, energy efficiency, and high brightness. With LED fixtures, you also have the luxury to choose among a wide range of exceptional color ranges. You also get to enjoy utility rebates with this option.
Halogen
Halogen light bulbs use at least 20-30% less energy compared to incandescent bulbs. This means that compared to all the other three types of light bulbs, Halogen only comes second to LED bulbs when it comes to energy efficiency. Homeowners looking for moderate energy-saving options should consider halogen bulbs.
Most halogen bulbs are lightweight and easy to fix. However, they only last at least 2500 hours, which may not be the best option for homeowners. When settling for a type of bulb longevity should matter, something that’s often missing in halogen bulbs.
Consider Your Light Bulb Fixtures
Now that you understand how to choose room lighting depending on the intended use, it’s time to consider the specific fixtures. You might understand the type of bulbs and the purposes of the room but fail when it comes to deciding on the complementing fixtures.
It’s crucial to pick the best fixtures for your home. Certain factors should guide you when deciding on the kind of fixtures to use. Here’re some of the fixtures that may appeal to you as a homeowner.
Ceiling Mount Fixtures
Ceiling mount fixtures are common when considering ambient lighting options. If you want to light your entry foyers, hallways, and bedrooms, then ceiling mount fixtures are your best buy. Most homes with ambient lighting consider ceiling mount accessories as a perfect option for general lighting.
Wall-Mounted Fixtures
Most times, wall-mounted fixtures can be useful in ambiance lighting or accent lighting. Depending on where you want to set your wall-mounted fixtures, scones can be a perfect way to complete the lighting. You may also consider using LED bulbs with wall-mounted fixtures.
Pendant Lighting
Pendant lighting fixtures can be useful for task or general lighting in your home. These lights often hang from the ceiling and offer the best outcome when set over dining room tables or countertops. Most pendant lighting fixtures come equipped with shades to avoid glares.
Recessed Lighting
When considering general lighting, task, or accent lighting, then recessed fixtures are your universal options. These fixtures guarantee you versatility for whichever room you intend to light up. You only need to be mindful of the extent of light you want when choosing the type of bulb to use.
Table Lamps
Table lamp fixtures are perfect for accent and task lighting. You can use these fixtures to complete your living room, study room, or the bedroom. The best thing about table lamps is their portability.
It’s Time to Revamp Your Home Lighting System
Getting your home’s lighting system right is at the core of enhancing that perfectly warm ambiance. However, a lot goes into choosing the right lighting for your home. You need to first understand the purpose of the room, the type of light bulbs, and the various lighting fixtures if you want to achieve flawless lighting for your home.
Now that you understand the types of light bulbs and the fixtures that fit each room, it’s time to revamp your home’s lighting system. It would be best to consider a lighting system that adds to the quality of your home’s natural lighting.
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