5 Home Lighting Errors

Lighting is a fundamental aspect throughout the house. Both indoors and outdoors, good lighting will highlight any décor. Lighting errors in the home could make us lose everything invested in this aspect.

Many times, no matter how much time and money we invest, and we try, we cannot improve the lighting in a room. In these cases, we tend to get impatient and generally direct the blame on the lights themselves and their manufacturers.

However, there are other factors that we must take into account. Planning your home lighting isn’t just about buying a few lights.

It is a comprehensive strategy that should also include furniture, doors, windows and other accessories. If we do not think about them, we will most likely fall into one of these lighting mistakes in the home.

Pay attention to these typical home lighting mistakes and make sure you’re not making any.

The 5 most common home lighting mistakes

1.- Using too intense lights

Contrary to what we might think, many people complain about having excessively lit rooms. This gives the feeling of being on top of a stage or a television set.

The reasons are usually having overly strong ceiling lights, or using too many light sources unnecessarily.

It is actually recommended to use soft white light bulbs in all rooms. It is also possible to install intensity regulators and thus choose the appropriate one according to each moment.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to abuse the luminaires in the ceiling. Rather, add one or two and complement them with floor or table lamps.

2.- Poorly located light switches

A fundamental aspect of all lighting is where to turn it on. In this regard, there are several conventions on how to place the switches.

They should be placed approximately one meter from the floor, and about 5 centimeters from the entrance door to the room.

3.- Not planning to take advantage of natural light

To put artificial light just right, it is very important to take advantage of sunlight. In that sense, it is recommended that the windows point to the east. In this way, we will have natural lighting to ventilate and heat the home during the mornings and noon.

There are also other accessories that can help you make the most of the sun’s rays:

• Place mirrors.
• Put skylights in those rooms where we can not put windows.
• Paint with light colors, which reflect light better.
• Do not place furniture that obstructs the passage of sunlight.
• Sunlight tubes: These collect sunlight with a capsule located on the roof of the house, and then redirect it inside. They are great for living rooms and kitchens.

4.- Do not consider the temperature of the light

It’s not all about intensity or location. We must also consider the shades of the luminaires that we choose. 

The general rule indicates that cold or white tones are the best for those spaces in which we carry out tasks, such as the kitchen, the living room, the study, or the reading corner.

On the other hand, warm lights, yellowish or orange, are suitable to promote relaxation.  That is why they are recommended for bedrooms.

5.- Place the lamps at the wrong height

It is not comfortable for anyone to have the lamp too close, with the danger of even hitting it, nor too high, so that the light is lost until it reaches us. It is advisable to attend to this detail and look for the exact measurement.

Opting for recessed lights is an excellent alternative. However, you should not abuse them; Doing so could cause your ceiling to look more like Gruyère cheese than a properly used space.

Lighting errors in the home are often unintentional. However, it is important to know them in advance so that you do not have to make overly important corrections in the future.

With these recommendations, you can maximize its usefulness and, not least, enhance the decoration you chose for your home.