BY DEAN ROWLAND
MAKE YOUR SPACE STYLISH AND CONDUCIVE TO PRODUCTIVITY
Nobody could have predicted before the pandemic began in 2020 that lighting in the home office and workspace would be thrust into the spotlight and require more attention to detail, function, efficiency and design than ever.
After all, few homeowners spent as much time in their home office before COVID emerged as they did once it took a foothold in our lives. Working remotely meant rethinking how to transform the everyday home office into a comfortable, well-lit office away from the office.
Refresh and renew became new opportunities to move forward with new lighting styles, materials and designs in the office and other rooms as well.
Unlike your company’s workspace that’s in your rearview mirror. If you haven’t already done so, personalize your new workspace at home. Make it stylish, practical and conducive to productivity.
Infuse the room with as much natural daylight as possible through the windows. Direct and indirect lighting should be applied to all areas of the room, whether it be sourced in Art Deco, industrial or vintage styles. Minimize the glare and use energy-efficient bulbs for cooler light (3,000-5,000 Kelvin rating).
Table lamps with LED task lighting illuminate the working space, chandeliers brighten the entire room, and floor lamps highlight recreational spaces.
Lighting can be the starting point for the design of every room. Each fixture needs to have a purpose, specific function and be attractive.
Table lamps can double as sculptural pieces of art. Larger furniture can be accentuated by a pair of table lamps on either side. Floor lamps next to your armchair can light the pages of your favorite book or lighten a darkened corner of a room.
Bold lighting designs that bedazzle can complement a nearby traditional design.
Transparent bulbs continue their impressive track record as an affordable and trendy light fixture.
Lighting creates ambiance to fit any occasion; soft and low for the bedroom, bright and cheery for the game room, overhead lighting for the kitchen and pendant lighting for the island or breakfast nook.
Single-light pendants or two-light cluster pendants come in a variety of finishes like glass, brass and copper and styles like modern, rustic and traditional.
They also come in a variety of shapes to suit any preference from dome, bowl, lantern, globe and orb, geometric and others.
Pendants are also a smart choice for home bars, home offices, hallways and foyers. For overhead lighting that combines function with an attractive presence in a room, think chandeliers and pendants.
Keep recessed lighting on your list of considerations for their unobtrusive positioning to focus light on areas 4-6 inches in diameter. They also partner well in sloped ceilings.
Comfort living extends to warm lighting by using natural materials like textured wood, glass and jute. Simple designs, shapes and textures complement functionality.
Always try to incorporate dimming controls throughout the home to give you flexible lighting options and reduce electricity use.
Lighting Tips
- Living rooms: Ambient overhead and accent lighting.
- Kitchens: Ambient overhead lighting and task lighting over workspaces, countertops or sinks
- Bedrooms: Ambient overhead lighting and task lighting over nightstands and near dressing areas.
- Bathrooms: Ambient overhead lighting and task lighting near vanities.
- Outside: Accent lighting along walkways and landscaping.
Lighting Temperatures
- 2,700 Kelvin: warm and darkest, similar to candlelight.
- 2,900 to 3,200 K: warm and slightly brighter, the most common color temperature for most rooms.
- 3,500 K: neutral and brighter color temperature.
- 4,000 K: cold; this is where the imitation of natural daylight begins, and the light becomes colder depending on the time of day.
- 5,000 K: cold, colder than before, and very bright; serves for rooms where the focus is needed.
The right lighting can make a big difference in ambiance and comfort.
