As winter approaches, we inevitably see less sunlight and more darkness on a day to day basis. And we tend to spend more time inside our home. These are both great reasons to evaluate your home lighting situation. It has been proven that proper lighting can improve your mood and also help to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Let’s make sure that you are prepared for this winter season by taking a look at a few basic lighting sources around your home.
Let’s start in the kitchen, which is often referred to as the “heart” of your home and tends to be a popular place to spend time. If you rely on one central lighting source on the ceiling to light your entire kitchen, you are not getting the best lighting in the area and often are performing tasks in your own shadow. I recommend multiple recessed can lights with high-output LED inserts which can be operated with a dimmer switch so that you have full control of the light level at all times.
In addition to the recessed lighting, under-cabinet lighting is a great way to eliminate shadows when working on food preparation. These days the under-cabinet lighting incorporates LED sources which are very bright, yet do not produce the heat that the older types do. Not only is this a practical lighting source, but it will also showcase your backsplash and countertops.
You may also want to consider upgrading any older style light bulbs that you may still have in your home to brighter LED’s. There are many types of LED bulbs and the ones you choose will depend on what color temperature and lumen output is ideal for each specific room in your home. You will find that non-dimmable LED bulbs are less expensive than the dimmable models and may be just fine for certain areas such as hallways, mud rooms, laundry rooms and closets. However, dimmable bulbs are great to have in dining areas, kitchens, bedrooms and master bathrooms.
Hopefully these ideas and suggestions will help you to be prepared for the season. You will be amazed at the difference these simple lighting upgrades can make. I’ve seen lighting transform a room many times and I always enjoy the reaction of the homeowner when they see the improvement for the first time.
