With all of the detail that goes into decorating and furnishing your home to make it your own, you don’t want to overlook lighting. Lighting plans for homes are just as important as floor plans.
While the task can seem overwhelming to someone who is not an expert, you can follow this guide when planning lighting for a new house.
Decide how much you want to spend on lighting
The first step to take when making a whole house lighting plan is determining a budget. Once you’ve established the framework, it’s easier to make every other decision.
As you follow along with this guide, you’ll take time deciding how much lighting you need and how you want your lighting fixtures to look. Without a concrete total number of dollars, it might be more difficult to pick items you want to splurge on, such as a statement chandelier.
The types of bulbs you choose can save you money down the road due to higher energy savings. A smart budget helps you decide where to splurge and where to be more conservative with costs.
Follow the floor plan
Lighting plans for homes are easier to form with the help of a schematic representation. Take a look at your home’s floor plan and consider light sources. Following a floor plan room-by-room will help you determine how much light you need. There will be areas of the living room where light might create a glare on your television. You’ll want optimal brightness in the spaces where you’re choosing which clothes to wear for the day.
Draw your furniture into your floor plan so you can decide where light might be needed for reading or dining. In your kitchen, you’ll want lighting above the areas where you’ll prepare food, but you should also consider if light sources directly above those areas will create annoying shadows.
When choosing locations for lighting, consider where electrical sockets are located and whether or not it would be convenient to add a lamp or additional fixture. The bare bones floor plan helps you determine what’s necessary before you factor in style and aesthetics.
Consider the function of your lighting
There are three kinds of home lighting - general, task and accent lighting. General lighting is known as ambient lighting which creates the overall illumination in your home. It’s functional lighting to help you see. Task lighting involves the light sources that have specific functions in your home. Lighting for work spaces will be considered task lighting. Accent lighting is the type of lighting that adds an affect or mood. With accent lighting, homeowners will often choose decorative fixtures like pendants and chandeliers.
No matter what type of lighting you're installing, you should consider dimmer switches into the lighting plan of your new home. Dimmer switches are popular because they help you control light throughout the day. You might be busy with a family activity in the living room during the day but ready for a relaxing, low-light atmosphere at night.
Factor in natural light sources
Which way is your home facing? If the front of your home is facing east, you’ll enjoy sunlight splashing through in the morning. When a new home includes large windows, you’ll obviously need fewer lighting fixtures for certain rooms, depending on the function.
Natural light is a feature that new homeowners can take advantage of. When a room receives a lot of natural light, you can choose paint colors that accentuate it. Using a glossier, reflective paint can increase the natural illumination.
Choose your style
Lighting fixtures will go a long way towards showing visitors your sense of style. Do you want your home to look modern with contemporary pendant lighting? Do you prefer French Country vintage iron candle lights? Do you enjoy lighting fixtures with mechanical features and exposed cords or do you want to downplay your lighting scheme with recessed lighting?
The answers to these questions might not be the same for every room because each area of your home serves a different purpose. One of the most important factors in creating a whole house lighting plan is the visibility of a statement light. If you find a beautiful fixture that fits your style, choose a space with high visibility.
Consider light temperature
Light temperature is another factor that should be considered when choosing lighting for different rooms. You’ll want warm light in a bedroom so as not to affect sleeping patterns, but cool light in the kitchen to give the area a clean and modern feeling. Cool lighting can help you focus. Think about what your family will be doing in a room before choosing the types of lights and bulbs you will use.
We’re here to help!
With all of the decisions to be made, it can be overwhelming to design a new home. Your friends at Natale Builders have helped countless homeowners find exactly what they were looking for in a living space. We’d be happy to take you step-by-step through the process and answer any questions you might have. Give us a call today!
