Lighting as a Layer…

Lighting is a layer of your home design that you really must give special attention to. Aside from playing its functional purpose of illuminating your space, it also emphasizes the aesthetic of your soul style. The right lighting can bring in the ‘warmth’ that moves through a traditional home or offer the ‘bright stark’ in a modernists’ space. It can soften a sensualists’ room and offer that transitional contrast that makes so much sense to the practicalists. 

The Lighting layer matters tremendously.  So today, we move into the importance of lighting, discussing everything from aesthetic to functionality…  

Natural Lighting…

Like many, I’m a big fan of natural light. Nothing compares to the clarity it brings to a home and the ‘pick-me-up’ bonus of vitamin D. It literally can transform any gloomy space into the joy room(s) of your home.  So regardless of your soul style, I absolutely recommend a room in your home that welcomes in those blessed rays of natural light.   

Functional Light…

There are three types of lighting that we work with and these are; Task (or functional) lighting, ambient lighting, and accent lighting.

Task lighting is the fixed light source that you use for very specific tasks in your home. It’s that light in your garage that helps you navigate in and out. It’s the light in your bathroom that you lean into to freshen up every morning, and it’s that central light in your kitchen that assures your chopping is done safely. Task lighting is the unmoveable light every home needs for functional living.

Ambient Lighting…

Ambient lighting is basic light. It’s what guides our way through our home and keeps us from bumping into our walls. 

As I’ve already mentioned, your lighting doesn’t have to come from a central ceiling source like a pendant light. Wall mounts, chandeliers, and table lamps all contribute to the light layering of your home. And having several sources available to a space allows you to switch the mood. If you want for something cozy, switch to your table lamps. And if you’re entertaining, perhaps overhead lighting, or even all your light sources, to really open up the space.

Accent lighting…

Accent Lighting is for the aesthetic of your space. Here we are talking about the types of lighting you use to illuminate your focal points. The types of lighting I’m talking about here include chandeliers, wall lamps and recessed lights. Accent lighting draws attention to the soul style features that you really want people to notice.  

Designing your light layers…

Light layering is about knowing that you can bring in ambient lighting into the same space you would typically have functional lighting. This is how you’re able to transform, say an open kitchen and family room, with its functional light, to an appropriate space for entertaining guests, such as you would for holiday gatherings. This is achieved using dimmers, allowing a bright kitchen’s overhead lights to be turned down and the chandelier or corner lamps to be turned up. 

The illumination of lamps and other decorative lights are also part of light layering. They’re the creative touches that help make your soulful home unique while bringing in their warmth or sparkles. They provide ambiance and can also be used as accent lighting when placed near special decorative element that may wish to draw attention to. And finally, let us not forget the magic of candlelight — The incomparable ambiance producing light source of the ages that continues to capture and hold our gaze still.   

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