What You Need To Do To Have A Finely Lit Home

There’s no question to a homeowner that lighting can make a world of difference, both in aesthetic and for setting the mood. There is also no question that most homeowners want to be the envy of the block, and getting your home lit up the right way is one of the best ways to give your home depth and personality. It will help to take a look at examples from some of the best-lit homes in the country and emulate it with a unique twist. Here are three pointers:

1. Use More Than One Type Of Lighting In An Area

This isn’t to say that lighting has to come from two different sources simultaneously, but a different type of light distribution can put a unique spin on the room. In any room or area, vary the type of lighting you use and have more than one type available. For example, if you have a covered patio in your backyard, supplement your porch lights with bulb lighting around the underside of the patio cover. Spotlights work well on their own if they’re used to scatter light over an outdoor area by highlighting an object from underneath.

2. Color Color Color

The color of the lighting can drastically affect the flow and look of the room. There are different “hues” of light that can be achieved through filters and the type of bulb used.  For instance, an artificial fireplace and its red-hued light works well with brick or red wallpaper. Outdoors, fire lighting goes very well with brick. White light goes best with white light and white walls, because lighter colors accent a room’s size and make it look bigger.

3. Place Lighting Behind Objects

Putting illumination behind objects like a TV, a stereo, a picture frame, or various objects in the yard will give it depth. It silhouettes an object and adds to the whole picture. It also sometimes gives the appearance of the object emerging from some bright place in the wall.

Lighting adds so much to the look of a home, especially at night. The best homes have the whole package; everything accented inside and out. Here are three different types of homes whose styles lend them to being the best-lit dwellings and some ideas of how to light them up like the best in the country do.

Colonial

I’ve always thought that a colonial style home looks fantastic when lit up at night with some spotlights. The light crawls up the brick and really highlights the colors used on the trim, which is usually white or blue. If you have a yard with equidistant trees, putting a light beneath each tree really creates a magical effect. If you have a circular driveway, there are many different patterns you can arrange spotlights to illicit any look you want. During the winter, the light reflecting off of any snow makes it look like your entire yard is glowing. The interior is most beautifully decorated with perhaps some vintage chandeliers hanging in key points in the home.

Japanese

A Japanese-influenced home has always been one of my favorites, and proper lighting is absolutely essential here. The atmosphere here depicts tranquility, simple beauty and a bit of metaphysical harmony. These homes often are trimmed, fenced or have structures made with beautiful cherry wood, which needs to be shown off. Spotlights accenting a dark, varnished cherry wood gives a very special look. Authentic Japanese style homes also traditionally have Japanese maple trees, bonsai trees and bamboo placed in the yard. These also look terrific lit up from underneath at night, and convey an element of peacefulness with a bit of mystique. The interior can be lit well with colored lanterns as well as traditional ceiling lights with a dimmer switch.

Contemporary

I’m of the opinion that contemporary homes have the most to experiment with in regards to lighting, being that the style is still being defined, and its boundaries constantly on the crest of the paradigm. Many times, these homes go greener with energy, using more LED lights, diodes and peripherals that channel light to make it go further. If you have light curtains in your home, put a bright light source behind the curtains to light them up with a nice glow. If your home has a pool, some pool lights will transform the mood and set your whole yard aglow.

With these simple tips, your home can join the collection of what most would call a “finely lit” home among some of the most elegantly and creatively illuminated in the country.