Home Ideas

Making a Difference With Lighting

Lighting can make a big difference in how you feel about your home. It helps you perform tasks more easily, makes you feel safe and more comfortable, and allows you to enjoy your home to its full potential.

Lighting adds beauty and drama to a room. It can make a small room look open and airy, and large rooms appear cozy and inviting. It can create a stimulating atmosphere for a night of entertaining, or a quiet feeling of relaxation after a long day.

In so many ways, lighting can make a difference. And, it does so inexpensively compared to other home decorating or remodeling options.

Determining your needs

Lighting should be planned to complement your lifestyle. So, first, you need to develop a home lighting plan that suits your individual needs and those of your family. When planning your lighting, look at the activities that occur in each room, the atmosphere you want to create and the decorative elements you wish to emphasize.

Keep in mind that light can be absorbed in dark-colored rooms, and reflected and used as additional illumination in light-colored rooms. Also, take note of those areas serving more than one purpose and those that will require more than one type of lighting.

There are three basic types of lighting that work together to light your home: General, Accent and Task. A good lighting plan combines all three types to light an area, according to function and style.

GENERAL LIGHTING: Provides an area with overall illumination. Also known as ambient lighting, general lighting radiates a comfortable level of brightness, enabling one to see and walk about safely. It can be accomplished with chandeliers, ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures, recessed or track lights, and with lanterns outside your home. A basic form of lighting that replaces sunlight, general lighting is fundamental to a lighting plan.

 

ACCENT LIGHTING: Adding drama to a room by creating visual interest. As part of a decorating scheme, it is used to spotlight paintings, houseplants, sculpture and other prized possessions, or to highlight the texture of a wall, drapery or outdoor landscaping. Accent lighting requires at least three times as much light on the focal point as the general lighting around it. This usually is provided by track, recessed or wall-mounted fixtures.

 

TASK LIGHTING: Helps you perform specific tasks such as reading, sewing, cooking, homework, hobbies, games or balancing your checkbook. It can be provided by recessed and track lighting, pendant lighting and portable lamps. Task lighting should be free of distracting glare and shadows and should be bright enough to prevent eyestrain.

Come see the lamp selection at Hanks. We have the styles, selection and the “you are not going to believe the price,” that makes it easy for you to “Complete your look.”

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