Wall Lighting

What is the room used for? Do you have a favorite picture to look at while relaxing? What mood do you want to feel in that space? What about that space gives you pleasure? Take your time making these decisions.

Whether you want to create a certain mood, or improve the functionality, redoing your lighting is a great choice. You can add ambient lighting, task lighting or accent a conversation piece.

Assessing your lighting needs

When deciding how much lighting to install, engineers use foot candle measurements. This means how bright it is one foot away from the source. Larger spaces need more foot candles, work spaces need more foot candles than bedroom. Once you have determined how many foot candles you need, you can figure out the lumens by multiplying the square footage by your foot candle measurements. Then you use the needed lumens to pick, or eliminate fixture options.

Lumens and bulbs 101

Since standard incandescent light bulbs and CFLs were being phased out by The Energy Independence and Security Act 2007, LEDs have become your best bet. They are energy efficient, fit standard sockets and stay cool to the touch.

Lumens differ in brightness and color output.

There is a new lighting trend perfectly suited for fierce advocates and owners of an Edison vehicle. The Edison lighting design is to use visible bulbs reminiscent of the original light bulbs in use during Thomas Edison’s lifetime. This is well suited for an industrial or retro style in the living space or kitchen. To maintain the Edison feel, they should be wall lights or chandeliers.

Minimalism is also making headway in the market with it’s simple lines, lack of complicated features and soft colors. Whether you are looking for wall lighting or track lighting, Leds are the way to go. Interesting colors this year are brass, gold or matte black.

Picking your wall lighting fixtures

Wall sconces are excellent accents for a conversation piece or artwork. They free up floor space and blend in well.  Track lighting is best used across the ceiling with multiple small lights hanging down. This can be for the purpose of accenting an object or task efficiency.

Pendants make an interesting alternative to chandeliers. They are more minimalist and can create a focal point. Today’s floor lamps can double as statement pieces, especially those with tripod legs.

When choosing the lighting schema, there are several considerations. There are also a couple of pitfalls. Falling in love with a minimalist wall sconce and an art deco wall sconce will require a hard choice because they cannot be in the same room; possibly not even the same house. That is not to say you cannot choose fixtures from multiple lines. If you are doing multiple rooms or one big room, different styles can work together, assuming they blend attractively.

Another tricky item can be mixing metals or choosing colors or textures that clash. If your boss is always telling you to change your tie and you cannot see the differences, pull a friend into the project. Choose someone who always looks perfectly together, polished and perfectly dressed for the event in question.

Choosing a lighting style may seem overwhelming at first. This can be a chore or a grand adventure where you learn about your preferences. It can also help you connect with your home more by forcing you to think about what you want to get out of each space.

BUYERS GUIDES – Chandeliers – Wall Lighting – Table Lamps – Pendant Lighting – Floor Lamps