Lighting Up Your Home

When starting up your new home remodeling project one overlooked aspect of one’s home is lighting. Lighting plays a big part in your homes appearance. It can make a room appear either very small or very spacious. Beautiful white cabinets can be given an ugly yellow or orange tint with the wrong lighting. The same problem can arise in flooring and walls with the wrong type of lighting so it’s important to consult a complete design build team to discuss all issues regarding the lighting and other elements of your home.

Basic Types of Lighting

Now when choosing lighting it’s important to know that there are 3 different types of lighting. To obtain the perfect blend of lighting in your home the combination of all 3 is required. Ambient lighting, which is normally referred to as general lighting, provides all around light. The second type of lighting is task lighting. Task lighting is generally used when specific tasks need to be performed and is not a form of light to keep a general area illuminated. The last type of lighting is accent lighting. Accent lighting must be brighter than the surrounding light because it is used to create drama in the room.

Ambient Lighting

The most energy efficient type of ambient lighting is natural light. Having a general contractor install windows in the correct locations in your house will allow for you to use as much natural light as possible without having to even flip a switch. The beautiful thing about natural light is that it’s always unique. Unfortunately, once the sun goes down, you lose your ambient lighting. This is where installation of the proper fixtures comes into play. In general areas of your home, like the living room or family room, you will want to install either a chandelier or recessed lighting throughout. Recessed lighting has become the go to type of ambient lighting in Los Angeles county because it pertains to a more modern and contemporary style look. In contrast to a chandelier, it offers more space as well.

Task Lighting

Task lighting is used when one needs to perform a specific task but once the task is done the light can be turned off. Task lights can be used when reading recipe books or just when working in a specific area of the kitchen. The nice thing about task lighting is that it is more energy efficient than common ambient lighting. This is due to the fact that there is less energy output when using a single light versus trying to keep a whole area illuminated. In Los Angeles, there are a couple different forms of task lighting that can be added to any room in the house. In newer kitchen remodels, under cabinet LED strip lighting is a very popular form of task lighting. In a majority of the other rooms in the house normal desk lamps are the go to option for task lighting.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting could possibly be of the most importance when trying to display certain decor or artwork in your home. When introducing accent lighting into your home, positioning is dire. Accent lighting brings in a dramatic effect but when misplaced or misdirected it can become an eye sore for guests. Getting in touch with a design-build contractor can help advise you on proper locations as to where recessed lights should be installed to give you the look you desire. Make sure that your accent lighting is brighter than the ambient lighting in whichever room your working in, whether it’s the kitchen, the living room, or a master bedroom. Accent lighting on certain elements in your home can truly bring out the elegance of them. If you want to highlight artwork on the wall you can use track lighting for a larger piece or for a smaller piece put a recessed light right above it.

All of these types of lighting are very important in creating a beautiful home. So, whether you want to do a full remodel or just insert some lighting to give your house more drama and personality contact a trusted design-build contractor.

As a Design+Build General Contractor, I offer my clients a one-stop shopping approach to all of their home remodeling projects. I work with my clients from initial conception of a project through its completion. Every aspect of the job is managed by me and my professional crew. You will be included in every step of the design process until the final drawings are completed. No detail is left to chance. General Contractor Specializing in Kitchen & Bathroom Design and Remodeling Throughout the Los Angeles area.