Some ways to make a home brighter with more inviting lighting
Good lighting is particularly important in a bathroom, where people are applying makeup and grooming themselves. Courtesy of Sherry Scott Design
Whenever the conversation pivots to lighting improvement, we are mostly talking about man-made lighting, or “artificial” lighting, as opposed to “natural” lighting (sunlight).
When the sun sets, unless we want low mood lighting, fireplaces and their equivalents don’t provide much brightness. We need general illumination to see well enough to walk around a space, and task lighting to carry out our routines, such as food prep, reading, shaving and many other daily activities. A third type of lighting, accent lighting, is for artwork, highlighting stone textures and other similar features.
A good lighting plan for a room is to employ all three types of lighting. They make a room feel more comfortable. This does not mean the illumination must be even throughout – on the contrary, it should be modulated and layered, depending on the specific needs and elements in a space.
It is becoming less common to have a room with a center light fixture installed on the ceiling, mostly because it can create a glare and doesn’t provide enough illumination to see details clearly. A preferred option is one or more wall sconces. These are best hard-wired into a junction box. The ceiling light fixture outlet could be capped and the wires pulled over to the wall for a wall sconce light fixture location. Floor and/or table lamps provide the layer of lighting for reading, and are inviting.
Another area of concern is bathrooms – especially those where people are applying makeup and grooming themselves. A single center vanity light fixture over the mirror creates shadows on the face. A better approach is to provide cross-illumination by a vertical light fixture on either side of a person’s face when looking into the mirror. Adding a full wall-to-wall-to-ceiling mirror will carry the light around the room and help brighten and open up the area.
Chargeable LED dimmable portable table lamps by Lodes add instant fun
One direct benefit of using light fixtures with LED diodes and LED light bulb replacements is the excellent energy savings over previous lighting technologies. In a 2019 New York Times article, Nadja Popovich wrote that due to the quick adaptation to using LED sources in light fixtures starting around 2010, energy use in U.S. households has dropped dramatically and will continue to do so. This is mostly due to the LED light bulb lasting upward of 25 years – versus one year for an incandescent bulb. Plus, the energy costs to run the LED is 80-85% less for the equivalent amount of light from an incandescent light bulb.
Readers are encouraged to submit design questions, which may be printed in a future column. To submit questions, email design@sherryscottdesign.com.
Sherry Scott is a Certified Interior Designer in California, professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and the proprietor of Sherry Scott Design in downtown Los Altos, 169 Main St.
