Correct lighting in the home allows us to enjoy all the things we love to do – eating, reading, entertaining, and more. Discern simplifies this onerous task.

What good is a home if it’s dark and dingy? Poor lighting can kill the beauty and mar the charm of any home. Lighting not only allows us to perform essential tasks in the home with ease but also enhances key features in any space. Read on to learn the ABCs of lighting up your home (and your life).

Types of Lighting

There are four main types of home lighting; overhead, wall, task, and specialty lighting.

Overhead or Ambient Light

Overhead lighting, as the name suggests, provides a throw of light around the room. Although this lighting may not dispense enough light for individual tasks, it should have sufficient brightness to support the room's basic activities -- playing games, watching television, reading or dining.

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Wall Lighting

There are two types of wall lights – Up-lighters and downlighters. Up lighting enhances the room; down lighting brightens specific areas.

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Task Lighting

Since ambient lighting doesn't cover the entire room, table and floor lamps usually provide additional light. Task lighting casts light in specific areas for certain jobs. For task lighting, soft white bulbs are better than the clear or coloured variety. If you experience glare, the wattage is too high.

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Specialty Lighting

Accent lighting highlights an area of the room, such as art. Recessed spotlights and track lights are the most common accent lights, but sconces, up lights, decorative spotlights, can provide accent light.

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Spotlighting

To draw attention to a specific item, such as artwork, place an accent light at a 30-degree angle and focus its beam on the object. Approximately three times the room's normal light level is required to create a spotlighted focal point.

Bedroom Lighting Ideas

Pet Peeve: Love to read in bed? Here’s how to find the right height for a bedside lamp.

Solution: For an ideal height, look for lamps that cast the light at the height of a book held in bed. The bottom of the lampshade should be about 20 inches above the mattress, so pages are clearly illuminated.

Pet Peeve: Love to hang that vintage chandelier over your bed but unsure of scale and size?

Solution: Proportion is paramount in a bedroom and if you have a large overhead chandelier or fixture it's important to choose one that comfortably fills the space it occupies. In a modestly scaled space, make sure to leave at least 7 feet between the bottom of the chandelier and the floor.

Living Room Lighting Ideas

Pet Peeve: Can’t figure out how to have a well-lit living room without multiple light fittings all around?

Solution: Light layers should be placed to bounce illumination throughout a room and eliminate shadows from corners. For lots of light from an unobtrusive source, opt for recessed lighting. With illumination provided by halogen, incandescent, or compact fluorescent bulbs, recessed lights allow you to position a focused, downward facing beam exactly where you need it.

Pet Peeve: How do you mimic a sleek modern look in the living room without compromising on the light?

Solution: Modernists love track lighting. It can act as a downlight, a floodlight, a spotlight, and an accent light. Fitted with enough light fixtures, a track lighting system is all you need to light up your living room. Track lighting is flexible, allowing you to change the location and direction of the individual fixtures to suit any room arrangement.

Bathroom Lighting Ideas

Pet Peeve: How does one brighten up pre-existing lighting set up on a budget?

Solution: You'll see yourself in a new light with the right combination of light sources in the right locations. Pep up a bathroom by replacing outdated light fixtures with modern versions. For an even thriftier change, look for replacement shades to update the fixtures you have. If you like the style of your sconces, but the metal finish doesn't work with your decor, tape off the surrounding areas and give the fixtures a fresh coat of metallic spray paint.

Pet Peeve: A dark bathroom needs as much light as possible. Any ideas?

Solution: Light up the loo with self-illuminating cabinets and vanity mirrors. Make a small bath feel larger with a large mirror. Install sconces on the mirror to reflect light.



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Kitchen Lighting Ideas

Pet Peeve: How can I set up a basic layout of lights for the kitchen that isn't too dark or overly lit.

Solution: The key to good kitchen lighting is to layer your lights. Mix ambient, task, and accent or decorative lighting with natural light. Task lighting should be included over the cooking surface, at the sink, over the counters, and over any table or other work surfaces. Place it at a height of about 30 inches above an island, peninsula, or table; but it might be higher if you are taller or are placing the light over a raised surface or an area such as a cooktop.

Pet Peeve: I’ve heard you can play around with colours and reduce the wattage required in a room. How does one achieve this?

Solution: Colour dictates light. Yes - White reflects light, bouncing it back into the room and making the space feel brighter. With many white surfaces, you can lower the wattage of bulbs or even reduce the number of fixtures and still have a well-lit kitchen.

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Discern Tip: When selecting the lighting for your home first ask yourself a few simple questions. What is the room used for? What time of day is the lighting required? A good ready reckoner to lighting should include the colour temperatures available in artificial lighting: Warm white (2700 K – 3500 K) is a soft warm white which is lovely for mood and decorative lighting at home.

Cool white (4000 K - 5000 K) is a cooler light, which is good for offices, kitchens and other spaces that require task lighting.

Daylight (5700 K -7200 K) for those who prefer a blend of both lights for decorative and task purposes, day light attempts to mimic natural light conditions.

Remember: Proper lighting enhances all the other features and fixtures in a room and makes your home more welcoming. It can also create a mood depending on the tone you want to set, so light up wisely and highlight the best features of your home!