Nothing affects our mood more than lighting. It's easy to feel happy on a sunny day if you have natural light pouring in through your windows. But how can you manage the mood if your home is on the darker side? And what's the best lighting for nighttime? Too many people make the mistake of treating lighting as an after-thought. But the truth is, carefully selecting lighting sources and light bulbs makes all the difference in how you feel in your home. Here are the 3 things you need to do to make sure your home lights up your life—and your spirits.
Install dimmer switches. I believe that every single light in your home should be on a dimmer switch—especially those canned lights all over your ceiling. You can stick with the old-fashioned dimmer switches, which allow you to manually dim the lights, or go for the newer "smart" dimmer switches. Either way, you'll never regret having the ability to change the mood of a room with a simple switch.
Choose the right light bulbs. It's confusing to buy light bulbs these days. I'm thankful for LEDs because of their longevity, but they come in so many variations that it can be tricky to determine which is right for each space. Understanding color temperature is key. Color temperature is measured in units called kelvins (K). The scale below shows that a lower temperature means the bulb will cast a warm (red, orange, or yellow) light into the room, and a higher value will cast cool (blue or violet) light into your room. (The old incandescent bulbs were usually in the Soft White (2700-3000K) range.)
Chart via Welsh Design Studio
Not only can the bulb color temperature change the look of your paint colors and fabric colors, but it can also have a major impact on how you feel in the room. We've all walked into a too-bright, too-white room; it's jarring and uncomfortable. In general, I tend to stick with warmer temperatures in my home and rarely choose a bulb over 3500K. You might need to experiment a bit to determine which temperature is best in each fixture and room. And don't forget to make sure you buy bulbs that work with dimmer switches (this will be clearly marked on the box).
Vary your lighting sources. If possible, try to have three sources of light in each room: a table lamp, a floor lamp, and an overhead fixture. This allows you to adapt your lighting to how you're using the room. For example, if you're reading, you may only need to use the lamp closest to you to illuminate the pages. If you're having game night with a bunch of people, you might need the overhead lights on for better visibility (but don't forget to dim them to set the mood!). In general, it's more flattering and cozier to light your room with lamps, rather than overhead lights that shine down from above.
If you follow these three steps, you'll have a flexible lighting strategy for your home that can adapt to your needs, as well as your moods.
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