6 Ways to Change the Lighting in Your Home

Take control over the lighting in your home with these simple tips!

Photo: TMD Landscape Designs

Lighting plays an important role within your home. Not only does it allow you to see better, but it can help to set the mood of a room. Do you want a very bright workspace, or do you want soft lighting for your bedroom? If you want to take more control over the lighting in your home, and get it just the way you want it, there are a few things you can do. Here are just 6 suggestions:

Add More Light Sources

The most obvious solution is to simply add more light sources. If you find that a particular area or room of your home is too dark, then more light is the solution. This could mean something as simple as plugging in a lamp, or installing a new chandelier ceiling fan on the ceiling. The type of lighting you add will depend on the setup of your room, such as where the furniture is and where the outlets are. If you have an ambitious project in mind, you may need the help of an electrician to have the job done right.

Photo: YSE Dusky

Replace the Bulbs

Another simple solution is to replace the bulbs within your current light fixtures. Maybe the bulb you are using now is too dark, or it’s letting off too harsh of a light. Or maybe you want to try something different, and plug in a colored bulb instead. You could even switch to LED lights if your concerned about energy efficiency. There are a lot of different options, and simply changing out the bulbs could be the solution you were looking for. So go out and pick up some different bulbs, and try them out to see which solution you like best.

Install Smart Lights

Sometimes we wish we could control the lighting in our rooms, without actually having to walk over to the switch. Well, with smart lights, now you can. There are now lights that you can install, that once set up, you can control with your smartphone, or through voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. You could dim the lights while sitting on your couch, or even turn on the lights when you’re about to pull into the driveway. It’s a great convenience that doesn’t take a lot of work to set up, so consider this if convenience is what you are after.

Photo: About Ruth

Change the Windows

The windows in any room play a large role in the light levels. If your windows are facing the wrong way, or don’t have the right blinds, you could have a room that is either too dark or too bright. While there might be limits on what you can do, the options available to you might surprise you. Look into custom window options, and see what sort of changes you could make to your room. Changing up the windows is a larger project than simply changing the bulbs, but if it impacts the room dramatically, and gets it to where you want it, then the cost and time might be worth it.

Put Lights in Unconventional Spots

Your light sources don’t have to be just lamps or overhead lights in the ceiling. There are plenty of other places you could install lights, and doing so would change the look of a room. For instance, you could install lights underneath the cabinets in your kitchen. Or, you could have motion lights underneath your bed that light up when you get up in the middle of the night. Another option is to place lights along the stairs, to make it a little easier to see. Think about where you want there to be light, and chances are there is a way to make it happen.

Photo: DIY Home Art

Don’t Forget Outdoor Lighting

Finally, if you have an outdoor space, you could change the lighting up here as well. Add some string lights to your patio, or hang some lights to nearby trees. As long as you get lights that are safe for outdoors, there are a lot of options available to you. You could transform your outdoor space into a great place to spend time at night, all by adding a few simple lights.

Don’t Overlook Your Lighting Options

When we are changing up a space in our homes, we often forget about the lighting. We assume what we have now is what we have to stick with. This is not the case, and there are a lot of different ways you could change of the lighting. Doing so could provide you with a more functional space, or one with a different feel. The above list is just a start – use your imagination, and you’re sure to find a solution that you love.