Every home needs a variety of lighting in each room. Some lighting is for Safety, other lighting is for reading and other tasks. Lights can be ceiling mounted or wall mounted for general lighting. There are also lights that are meant to be decorative. The same home might have a collection of lighting including ceiling light fixtures for general lighting or safety, outdoor lights for security, and decorative table lamps for additional lighting in the living room. It may have bedside lighting that is either in the form of lamps on bedside tables or wall-mounted lights on either side of the bed.
Types of Lighting to Consider
When a homeowner is choosing lighting for their home, they might buy wall mounted lights, ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, table lamps, track lighting, and under-counter task lights in the kitchen. There are also floor lamps that come in handy when floor space is limited because they don’t take up as much space as a table and table lamp would.
1. Ceiling mounted lighting can be in the form of chandeliers that hang down from the ceiling on a chain and are very decorative for use in entryways, dining rooms, or even over kitchen islands. They can be lights that are flush-mounted or recessed in the ceiling like spotlights or can lights. They can also be in the form of smaller pendant lights that are hung in groups. Ceiling light fixtures can be mounted directly on the ceiling with glass or plastic light shades to diffuse the light.
Soffit lighting is located in a soffit close to the ceiling and radiates light downward. Track lighting can also be ceiling mounted to provide directional light to all parts of a room.
2. Wall-mounted lights can come in the form of wall sconces that direct light upward or downward. They often have the ability to be directed toward a task, or an item to be accented in a room. Wall sconces can be like decorative elements in a room. Wall-mounted lights can be small in size and meant to be used in groups or rows like when a hallway or stairway needs to be lit.
Wall-mounted lighting can be in the form of track lighting where multiple lights are attached to a track. The lights can be moved along the track as needed and can be directed at different angles. Wall-mounted lights can also be one fixture with several light bulbs in a row, each with its own light shade. Wall-mounted lighting can be very utilitarian or very decorative.
Wall-mounted lights are the oldest form of lighting in existence. The first wall-mounted lights might have been candles or torches. Wall-mounted lights were used long before electricity was available. Modern wall-mounted lights can direct light upward or downward.
These lights can be hard-wired in the wall and electrical lines behind it. Or, they can have electrical cords that plug into an outlet on the wall nearby. The advantage of wall sconces is that they do not take up any floor space or ceiling space.
3. Table or floor lamps provide portable lighting that has a cord to plug into nearby outlets. These lights can be moved from place to place as needed. The table lamps sit on end tables or shelves. Floor lamps have a tall base and are designed to sit on the floor. Both floor lamps and table lamps are good for adding light at task level and adding another layer of light to a room. They come in many materials, finishes, and styles.
How are Wall-Mounted Lights Used?
Wall-mounted lights or sconces can be used to light dark corners, dining nooks, hallways, or stairways. Wall-mounted lights can be used to make a room appear larger or add architectural interest to a plain room. In bathrooms, a long wall-mounted light fixture with several lights or a pair of sconces on each side of a bathroom mirror add the needed light for grooming. They also become a decorative design element in the small room.
Wall-mounted lighting is often used where floor space or ceiling space is limited. This type of lighting can be very good task lighting for desk areas, hobby rooms, or laundry rooms. Track lighting is especially good for task lighting. Wall-mounted lights with motion detectors are used on exterior walls of a home near doorways to provide security and light for outdoor activities.
Buying Light Fixtures
The same company that sells wall-mounted light fixtures will also provide ceiling lights and all types of architectural light fixtures. They will have a large collection of lighting styles and types to choose from. The company may employ lighting consultants to help customers choose the correct lighting for every part of their homes. They can help a person coordinate all their lighting so it matches their home decor and looks good together.
It is never too late to improve the lighting in a home. It does not take long to walk around the home with a notebook assessing the level of light in each room and noting where more lighting might be needed to light dark corners, a dark hallway, or a stairway. The kitchen is used often for preparing meals and planning menus but is often not lit properly. Adding task lighting under kitchen cupboards to light counter areas will make food preparation easier. Adding a couple of pendant lights over the kitchen island will make that space more usable and more pleasant to sit at.
It is not very expensive to add a line of small wall sconces to a dark hallway to make it safer. They can be hard-wired to all turn on with one wall switch for convenience. And the lower level or basement of the home is one of the most commonly underlit areas of the home. A basement, even a finished one, can seem cold and spooky if the lighting is not adequate. But, adding a few lights will warm the space up and make it more pleasant to work or play in.
Light up a house and it will be more welcoming and easier to live in. Adding a couple of table lamps to a room will make a large difference in how it looks at night. Adding one or more wall sconces or ceiling-mounted lights can add to any room’s ambiance and apparent size.
