Lighting is an essential piece of the interior design scope and is one of our passions. Lighting functionality and design significantly affect how you experience a space. The number one thing to remember when lighting your home is balance. Underlit spaces can evoke a dull and dark atmosphere. Underlighting can also be impractical when performing tasks such as cooking or reading; however, over-lit rooms can make your home feel sterile. In addition, it can also be an unnecessary strain on the eyes. As a contractor, M.C. Renovation & Painting always strives to balance your requirements to bring out the best of your space! In this blog, we will give you some ideas about things to keep in mind while choosing the lighting for your house to ensure optimum functionality while keeping the atmosphere comfortable and serene.
The Three Types Of Lighting
A Contractor that successfully designs a room needs a mix of three basic types of lighting: ambient, task and accent. Each of these forms provides benefits for different functions and, if used together, can create a beautifully lit space. Let’s get into what each of these types of lighting accomplishes.
Ambient lighting
Ambient lighting provides a room or area with overall illumination, best known as your general/primary lighting source. Ambient lighting emits a comfortable brightness, allowing you to see and walk about safely. Ambient lighting can be delivered via ceiling fixtures, pot lamps, chandeliers, recessed lights or track lighting. Dimmers are also a must-use option as they allow you to alter the brightness so the atmosphere is just right.
Task lighting
Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks that free you from distracting glare or shadows that may cause eyestrain. For example, task lighting is most commonly used in kitchens for food preparation, cooking, reading, and working in other rooms. This light can be provided through recessed or track, under-cabinet, pendant lighting, or portable desk or floor lamps.
Accent lighting
Accent lighting is used to highlight and create visual interest in a room. It is most commonly used to draw our eyes to particular objects, such as paintings, plants, and other decorative items. Wall lights, bulkheads and floodlights (ideal for outdoors) can also be used to accentuate the colours and textures of architectural features.
Using LED Lights for Renovation Projects
When doing any renovation, the cost is always one of the main concerns. When it comes to lighting, using LED lights is both cost-saving and practical and beneficial. LED lights have been quite popular over the last few years. It’s easy to forget that this brilliant technology has been around for over 50 years – yes, half a century! And we’ve been enjoying it in our daily lives for almost as long. New generation LEDs provide a variety of colour shades (Lumens), last for usually 25+ years, and are compact and easier to install than previous generation lighting.
LED Lights in the Residential Sector
Today’s LED technology can produce bright white light and a light spectrum very close to the incandescent bulbs of the past. This new technology has led to LEDs becoming the legitimate contender to take over the residential sector as a source of all lighting.
Benefits of LED lights
That being said, here are some commonly cited benefits of LED lights.
Cost Savings
LEDs can create an equal amount of light with less than 25% of the watts required by incandescent bulbs. In other words, a 23-watt LED bulb will be as bright as a 100-watt incandescent bulb. This means a 75% reduction in hydro costs, which, if incorporated across multiple fixtures, can mean significant cost savings over time.
Energy Savings
Not only does a 75% reduction in hydro means lower costs, but it also positively impacts the demands made on municipal power grids.
Everyday Lighting
Now you can retrofit almost any light fixture because LED bulbs are increasingly available in various socket sizes. Even the Edison base, which is the most common incandescent bulb base. All you need to do is pick up an LED bulb with the right base and fit it into your existing fixture to start saving money and energy!
Reliable and Long-lasting
LED technology is versatile and reliable. Most LEDs are dimmable and don’t flicker. This is due to them employing solid-state technology. LEDs also require no warm-up time and are at maximum brightness as soon as you switch them on. LEDs also last up to 50,000 hours, which is much more than what an incandescent light bulb is capable of. As LED lights drop in price, it becomes easier and easier to make the switch!
A Great Home Renovation Company Motto: Planning Is Everything!
As with all aspects of Home Renovations, a contractor’s planning is paramount and will ensure your lighting is the best it can be. Designing a lighting and electrical plan is an essential (though often overlooked) step in any renovation. The options you choose and their placement can significantly impact the look and feel of your home. There is a huge difference between good and great lighting, and taking that extra time to select the right electrical fixtures and positioning is worth the effort. In South Surrey, M.C. Renovation & Painting is a home renovation company that considers every project’s lighting and electrical factors. We Guarantee it!