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Getting the lighting right in your home

Posted on March 2nd 2020

Many of us underestimate the power of lighting within our home, not just artificial but also natural. It’s crucial in the planning stages to get this right as it will pay off in the long run by keeping your power bills reasonable, living conditions enjoyable and if in the future you choose to move on, a big selling point for potential buyers.

When buying a block and building a new home, you need to consider orientation. Choosing a floor plan that allows best use of your blocks angles and maximising on it’s natural light intake at all points of the day. Making sure your living areas are North facing will mean natural light and sun are always present, also helping your house to retain heat in the colder months.

In terms of a lighting plan for your home, this is definitely not a case of ‘less is more’. You want to make sure you are lighting up your work areas as well as having an overall cohesion throughout the home. LED down lights are a great way of lighting a home but in an extremely cost effective manner. Entry ways, hallways, bathrooms and outdoor living aren’t exactly ideal areas for a lamp if your light source isn’t too good… So if you are on a budget, these are the key areas to focus on when looking to enhance the lighting plan. Look at the details too… If your hallway linen cupboard doors open out, blocking the light above, then re-jig to make sure it falls centre. The same goes for kitchen cupboards and bathrooms.

Feature lighting is a big trend at the moment, from pendants in the hallway, over the kitchen island, above the dining table and bedside the bed… But keep in mind these are ‘features’ for a reason. Depending on your choice of fitting, they wont always give you the best light. So, don’t eliminate your core source of light (down lights) in the hope your pendant will do the job. Having said that, pendants are a great way of giving your home some character and personality. Choose fittings that tie in with your decor and colour selections, they are a feature but they it’s important they stay cohesive in the design so they don’t look like an after thought. Be wary of size too, its all about balance. Choose a fitting that complements the size of your dining table or kitchen bench, don’t go too small as it will look out of place, but too big will block line of sight and flow through a room. This is something your builder or designer will be able to assist with.

So look carefully at your lighting plan in the early stages and if your already in an established home, have a look around and see if your home could benefit from making a few small lighting changes!

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