When you buy a house and land package, you often get a pre-designed home.
But when that home is from a reputable builder, there’s still an opportunity to customise your lighting. This is a great chance to create the perfect lighting conditions for how you use each room of your home, so we’ve put together the following tips.
Lounge room
The living room is easily the most comfortable and versatile space in the home. You’ll likely entertain guests here, curl up to read a good book or watch television — which is why layered lighting is so important.
Talk to your builder about installing dimmable overhead lights. This way, when you’re catching up on your favourite show on a Saturday night, you can dim half the room while leaving the other half softly glowing for easy navigation when it comes time to refill the snack bowl.
Meanwhile, accent lighting offers a perfect opportunity to highlight areas of the room when hosting a party. Think about installing track lighting behind built-in shelves where you can display your best art and photos of your friends and family.
Kitchen
Lighting in the kitchen needs to be flexible, particularly if you have an open plan layout. You want to be able to create a soft glow while dining, but still be able to see clearly when preparing food. The perfect combination of task lighting and decorative ambient lighting works well here.
Discuss the possibility of installing overhead accent lights to illuminate different work areas such as the sink, stove, benchtops and pantry. Pendant lights suspended over a kitchen island bench is one way of achieving this with style. Alternately, install under-mount lighting beneath cabinetry above benchtops to create a spotlight on your preparation areas.
Bathroom
Gone are the days of harsh, brightly lit bathrooms. Now, these areas have become tiled sanctuaries, where the right kind of lighting can transform your experience. There are many ways to achieve the perfect bathroom glow but one thing remains constant — you need plenty of overhead and task lighting.
Ceiling-mounted or recessed lighting works best for brightening the space overall, while task lighting at the mirror is essential. To avoid creating shadows, place wall-mounted fixtures on either side of the mirror at eye level.
If bathtime for you is a relaxing experience, you’ll benefit from installing a wall sconce to cast a soft glow over the tub. Adding controls next to the tub so you can dim the lights without getting out is a luxurious touch if it’s in your budget.
Bedroom
You can really maximise your lighting in your bedroom to help your body wind down for sleep. Consider installing soft-glow strip lighting along a wall, where it meets the floor. This way, you can see where you’re going if you need to go to the toilet in the middle of the night and avoid switching on any bright lights which might wake you up (or your sleeping partner…).
